Blue Blooded
by PrincessofConflict
Summary: Loki abducts and assaults a young employee of Tony Stark and the Avengers are forced to help her through the most difficult change imaginable.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Andrea Destler woke with a start, her eyes bolting open immediately. Looking up at the ceiling, she saw white and bright lights. Panicking, she tried to sit up but found her wrists and ankle bound to the small, steel-framed bed she was lying on. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she made to let out a scream but no sound would escape her lips. Instead she froze, listening intently for any sight of danger.

A few moments passed before she heard footsteps in the distance. As soon as she did, she started tugging at her restraints, trying desperately to pull her hands out from her bonds with no luck. Quickly she turned her head to see if anyone had entered the room but found no-one, the footsteps still approaching. Sweat dotted her brow as she struggled painfully against the leather holding her in place. Then she heard a series of beeps, like someone entering a code, and she froze dead, terrified about what was about to happen. She heard a door open and footsteps starting to walk towards her before they stopped suddenly and she felt her breathing speed up painfully so. Then she heard running and soon she saw a man with greying black hair and glasses standing over her.

"My name is Doctor Bruce Banner. I'm not going to hurt you. What's your name?" Andrea made to respond but her throat was so dry that all she could manage was a short squeak. She looked up at him scared, his calming words doing nothing to make her feel any safer, especially as she was still restrained. He picked up on this and looked down at her wrists and ankles, a slight gasp escaping his lips. Immediately he ran out of her line of vision and she heard him talking into an intercom. "Stark! What's the code for the restraints? Why do I want to know? Because _someone_ decided to lock her into them, that's why! 3-1-6-9, good."

Then he came back and stood near her feet. He smiled at her shyly and typed the code into a small panel on the side of the bed. Immediately after, she felt the leather around her extremities loosen and she pulled herself out of them quickly, pulling her knees up to her chest and trying to get as far away from the doctor as possible. He smiled apologetically.

"I didn't want you restrained. It does little to gain someone's trust. Again, what's your name?"

A little of her confidence returning, she managed to speak. "Andrea Destler."

"Okay, Andrea," he said, standing close enough to her that she was aware of him but no so close as to scare her. "Do you know where you are?"

"No."

"You're in the labs in Stark Towers, New York. Do you know how you got here?"

"No." She looked down at her kneecaps and pulled the hospital gown she was now wearing littler closer to her. Bruce noticed this as well.

"JARVIS?"

"Yes, Dr Banner?" On hearing the voice come from nowhere, Andrea let out a little shriek and shrunk a little further down into the bed. Bruce cursed himself internally for his mistake. It was hard enough for him to adjust to JARVIS; she would feel far worse about it.

"JARVIS is a voice interface and master computer. He's harmless," he said comfortingly. She nodded a little and loosened her arms around her legs. He addressed the computer again. "Have Natasha bring down some of her clothes for Andrea."

"Right away, sir." The accent made everything sound proper and Andrea couldn't help a small giggle escaping her lips. The doctor turned to her, confused, and she realised how odd she sounded. Quickly she tried to pull herself together as he questioned her again.

"Do you know why you're here?" The second that question was asked, her mind flashed her images of the man with cruel, green eyes leering at her, standing over her, touching her. She wanted to throw up but there was nothing in her stomach. Bruce noticed her anxiety and went to stand closer to her.

"You're safe here." He looked up at him and he smiled weakly. She tried to return the gesture but couldn't seem to move her face. Instead she resigned to looking back at her knees. It was then that she heard a code being entered and the door opening again. She turned quickly to see a shapely woman with short, fire-engine red hair walking in, holding a small pile of clothes. Andrea shied away but the woman smiled kindly.

"Andrea, this is Natasha." Andrea could only manage a nod of acknowledgement as Natasha laid the clothes down on the end of the bed. Looking at them, she saw a pair of black sweatpants and a plain, grey t-shirt. Without any real concern for her modestly she took off her gown and shrugged them on. Bruce had turned his back but Natasha stayed just where she was. When she was dressed, Natasha poked Bruce lightly on the shoulder and he turned around again, a slight blush on his cheeks. Feeling slightly more comfortable with these people, who seemed kind enough, she sat up, crossing her legs in front of her. Natasha sat down on the end of the bed and Bruce stood awkwardly beside her. It seemed it was Natasha's turn for questioning and she started easy.

"What's your name?"

"Andrea Destler."

"Do you understand why we brought you here?"

"No," Andrea answered honestly, looking down at her lap. Natasha looked to Bruce who just shook his head, refusing to be the bearer of bad news. The red-head let out a sigh.

"Yesterday we pulled you out of an old office block after we found out you were with the man we were tracking. You were exposed to a…substance for which we have no understanding of the effects. We need to keep you here for surveillance until we do."

"What substance?" Andrea asked, a lump rising in her throat; she was fairly certain she knew the answer. Natasha and Bruce exchanged glances briefly.

"Can you tell us what happened to you?" Natasha threw the question at her in an attempt to distract that worked remarkably well; she was after all a queen of manipulation. Andrea looked down at herself and fiddled with the edge of her shirt before looking back up at them, her eyes glazed over slightly. She took a deep breath before starting.

"I was on my way to…work-"

"Where do you work?" Natasha interrupted.

"Stark Industries in one of the smaller buildings in DC but I was sent here for a specialist project. I was about a block away when someone grabbed my arm and turned me around. He was tall with longish, black hair, and he was wearing strange clothes; all leather and metal. He turned me and was staring at me. I tried to pull away from him but he wouldn't let me, just gripping my wrist tighter." Andrea looked down at her wrist where a bruise now stood black and blue against her skin. She rubbed it gently.

"Then he pulled me into a side street and I was yelling and screaming but it was like my voice was just carried away in the wind. People were walking past just a few metres away and not one of them turned to look. Then he touched my chest with this…this spear thing and it was like I wasn't in control of my own head anymore. He turned and walked down the street and I…I followed him. I don't know why, but I did.

"He led me to this old building and opened the door for me. I walked in and there were all these guards, different sizes, ages and ethnicities but they all had blue eyes. _Glowing_ blue eyes. The man nodded to them and walked into a room behind them all and I followed. But as soon as I was in the room…he pushed me against the wall and I hit my head.

"The next thing I remember I was back in my own mind, but I was naked and lying on the floor of a white, tiled room. I couldn't get up because my head was throbbing but I looked around. Before I could really find anything he appeared. I don't mean he walked in but he just appeared, out of thin air; and was grinning like a madman."

"Did he say anything to you?" Natasha watched as Andrea nodded slightly.

"He said, 'You bear the exact likeness of Sigyn'." At this, Natasha and Bruce both looked at each other anxiously before urging Andrea to continue. "I tried to back away from him but before I could he grabbed me around the throat, pinning me to the floor with his knee on my stomach. I could hear him muttering something that sounded like jibberish. He raised his other hand in the air and a syringe materialised in it. He released his hold on my throat but kept his knee on me. He took the syringe and stabbed himself in the inner elbow, pulling back on the lever. His blood was blue.

"Then, he pulled it out and turned back to me, a grin on his face. I was terrified. I tried to scream but he put his hand back around my throat. He held the syringe above me when he heard something and he turned to look. I tried to get out from beneath him but before I could, he stabbed me with the syringe in my thigh, pressing down on the lever. He blood felt like ice in my body and he let go of me completely, standing and leaving. I screamed and yelled but no-one seemed to hear me. It was just after that my head started to feel like it was splitting and I lost consciousness again. The next time I woke up I was here."

Bruce and Natasha had listened to her story intently, occasionally giving each other looks. Confidence waning, she couldn't help but ask, "Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No." Natasha walked forward and put an arm around Andrea's shoulders, pulling her to her feet and starting to take her upstairs. Andrea was about to ask but Bruce did it for her. "Where are you taking her?"

"To talk to the rest of the team," Natasha said as she opened the door. "They need to hear this."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Andrea and Natasha got into the elevator and, just before the doors closed, Bruce stepped in. She looked up at him with a smirk and he grimaced. Andrea was fighting back a laugh when an excruciating pain shot through her, emanating from her thigh, and she fell, a yell passing her lips. Bruce quickly swept into action and picked her up in his arms, carrying her bridal-style out of the elevator as it opened into the Avengers HQ.

The pain wasn't subsiding and she continued to yell, attracting the attention of the tenants who occupied the space. Two men who had previously been sitting watching television stood immediately, turning to face the trio entering. One of them had boyish, sandy hair and an innocent expression while the other had dark hair and a look of malice, clearly not intended. However, both of them were very well built. Bruce laid Andrea down on the sofa and the blonde man stepped forward.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Blood poisoning," Natasha said as she pulled off Andrea's pants, leaving her in her underwear and t-shirt and revealing her thigh which was turning blue. Everyone took a step back in amazement and fear. "Of the most literal kind."

Andrea let out another shriek of agony and Bruce leapt into action. He ran to the kitchen in a desperate attempt to find something to stop her pain. It was at this moment a man with a goatee walked in, rubbing his eyes. "What the hell is going on? No screaming before bedtime."

He walked over and immediately saw the source of the noise and dropped to his knees beside her, pressing a hand to Andrea's thigh. He pulled back quickly, hissing in pain as he blew on his hands.

"What?"

"It's like putting your hand in liquid nitrogen," he said, blowing on his hand again in a desperate attempt to gain warmth. Then an idea struck him. "Legolas, run a hot bath."

"Really? While this woman is in pain you want to have a-"

"It's not for me! She's in pain because she's being frozen to death from the inside; we need to warm her up."

"Way ahead of you," Bruce said, returning holding a hot water bottle he had clearly just filled from the kettle. He put it on her leg and soon Andrea's pain started to seep away. She relaxed into the sofa as she started to feel the warmth in her leg again. Looking up, she saw five worried faces and she managed a small smile.

"Thank-you." Not one of the faces looking down at her showed any acknowledgement of her words and she shied away again, feeling out of place. She pulled her sweatpants back up and started to take the water bottle off her leg but was stopped by four hands pressing it back on. All of them except the man with the goatee had a hand on the water bottle.

"Keep it on, you could die otherwise." She nodded at Dr Banner's words and they all pulled away before sitting in various places around the living room. The man with the goatee spoke first.

"Who are you?" Before she could answer, she was cut off by Natasha.

"I'm surprised you don't know. I thought you'd slept with all your female employees." Andrea blinked.

"You…you're Tony Stark?" Tony spread his arms out wide and grinned.

"The one and only." He came and sat down across from her, his eyes shining with amusement before is disintegrated on meeting hers. "That still doesn't answer the question. Who are you?"

"Andrea Destler," she said calmly.

The sandy haired man stood and took her hand, kissing it. "Steve Rodgers, ma'am."

She nodded and the other man who had been in the room when she entered moved forward. "Clint Barton."

"Hello." She turned to look at the sea of faces around her and suddenly felt like and intrusion. She made to stand but Steve pushed her back into her seat.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving. I've intruded enough," she said and she stood to leave. She made to walk to the doorway but found three men standing in her way. Banner, Rodgers and Barton all stood in front of her like a wall and she wilted where she stood, suddenly afraid. "Why won't you let me go?"

Picking up on Andrea's fear, the three separated and left Dr Banner to talk to her. He grabbed her gently by the shoulders as he spoke. "The man who injected you with his blood; he wasn't…normal. We need to keep you here to ensure there isn't any effect from the transfusion. Also, we need to protect you."

"Why?"

"Because you look like Sigyn," Natasha said stepping forward. At the mention of that name, everyone in the room stiffened visibly and stared at her. She was lead back to the sofa and sat down where she was ignored as a conversation flew around her. She only caught fragments of it.

"Did you say he gave her his _blood_?"

"Loki must be planning something to be watching Stark Towers."

"Why isn't he back on Asgard? Thor said he was going to be punished."

"What do you mean she works for me?"

It was a moment before Anthea realised that someone was calling her name. Turning her attention back to the group, she saw all eyes fixed on her. She shifted uncomfortably under their gaze but none of them made to look away. Finally, she couldn't help herself.

"What!?" In that flash of anger, every did a double take, but she could tell it was from more than surprise. Looking in the window across from her she saw her skin took on a pale blue. Shock took over her but she attempted to calm down. Quickly her skin faded back into being the pale white it was. As soon as it did, Steve sprang into action, addressing the team.

"Stark, Romanoff, we'll see if we can track down where Loki is. Barton, inform Director Fury about what's going on. Banner, see if you can find out anything about the effect his blood is having. Miss Destler, keep warm."

Before she could even comprehend what was happening, everyone was moving in different directions. Tony, Steve and Natasha had disappeared down the corridor; Clint had run outside, pressing a finger to his earpiece and talking quickly; Bruce was pulling at her arm and she followed him without a second thought. She waked awkwardly, still trying to hold the hot water bottle to her leg. Eventually they made their way to the elevator. Bruce typed a security code into the panel beside her and the doors closed. Andrea could have sworn that just before they did, she caught a glimpse of a green eye and a toothy grin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Once they got back into the lab, Bruce sat Andrea down in a chair by his desk and proceeded to rush around the room. Curious, she watched him, never taking her eyes off his figure for a second. When he returned, she saw him holding a few vials, a needle as well as some other medical tools. He set them all down on the desk before grabbing a chair and sitting across from her. Letting out a short sigh, he explained when he was going to do.

"Okay, I need to do a basic physical check-up as well as four blood draws. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes, test me all you want. But why four?" The doctor averted his eyes for a moment before looking back up.

"I need to get a vial of blood from both the injection site and one of your extremities; in this case your inner elbow."

"But that's only two," she said, confusion rising in her voice. Bruce looked down at his hands, refusing to look up. She felt horrid creep up on her as a suspicion of what he needed started to grow. "Doctor Banner, please tell me it's not what I think it is."

"We also need to do the blood draws when your skin is cold."

"But the cold brings the pain." She visibly withdrew into her seat and he looked up sympathetically.

"I'm sorry but it's necessary. As soon as the draws are done I'll put the heat back on but-"

"No!" she yelled, standing up and hobbling over to the door, still with the water bottle pressed to her leg. Bruce didn't move from his spot, knowing full well she couldn't get out. "No, there are other ways. Just test my blood normally."

"The effects seem to vary depending on temp-"

"THEN FREEZE MY BLOOD!" Banner looked up suddenly at this and a small smiled twitched at his lips. He stood and walked over to Andrea, leading her back to her seat calmly. He sat down opposite her again and nodded.

"That might work, but if it doesn't, I need your permission to do the blood draw when you're cold." She nodded numbly and he managed another small smile. It was at this point he began the typical physical exam; listening to her heart, taking her pulse and temperature, asking her about health previous and checking her body for any signs of damage or injury. When he finished this, he grabbed a long strip of cloth and tied it around the top of her arm tightly. Then he put one of the vials on the needle and broke the skin, pressing it into her vein. Immediately her blood started to drain into the vial, slowly but still moving. It's colour seemed slightly off, almost burgundy, but neither seemed to notice.

"You said you work at Stark Industries," Bruce said and Anthea looked up from where her eyes had previously been fixed on her arm. She nodded. "What did you do?"

"I'm a research scientist, specialising in weapons development and biochemical engineering. I also have a degree in thermonuclear astrophysics, but that wasn't what I was employed for."

"Hell of a title. And a coincidence. A month ago you would have been very useful," Bruce said as he removed the needle, got a new vial and pushed it into her thigh. Andrea let out a small laugh.

"I suppose. I was involved in creating the Jericho Missile but, after Mr Stark shut down weapons manufacturing, I was switched to working on the arc reactor technology. That's why I came to Manhattan."

"Get anywhere?" Andrea looked down at the doctor and smirked.

"I was directly responsible for the final calibration and testing of the arc reactor as an energy source. Sadly the prototype was destroyed in the battle here." It was then that she remembered the conversation they had been having upstairs. As Doctor Banner removed the needle and covered the small wound there, she shifted in her seat, her fear-filled eyes focused on him. "Loki."

"What?" he said, spinning around from where he had been preparing the next vial.

"Loki. It was Loki who destroyed everything here. I heard it on the news. You said that Loki must want something to be watching Stark Towers. Does that mean that-?"

"Andrea," he said, putting down the needle and holding his hands up slightly. He saw the state she was in and was worried about what she might do. "Andrea, calm down."

"HIS BLOOD!" She screamed; standing and letting the heat pack dropped to the floor. She felt dizzy and walked like she was intoxicated, swaying from side to side. Dr Banner watched her carefully but didn't move. "THAT KILLER, THAT _ALIEN_ BLOOD IN ME!"

"What's going on?" Tony now stood in the room and Bruce's eyes widened in panic. Tony looked and saw Andrea swaying dangerously and without thinking, he walked towards her. She turned around and they saw that her skin was light blue again from her rage and hysteria. He tried to touch her but she kicked him in the stomach. Double taking, he fell back and she screamed, falling to the floor.

The pain had come back and she writhed on the ground, gripping her thigh and screaming. Bruce made to get the hot water bottle but Tony, obviously aware of what they were doing, stopped him and held his hand out. "Give me the vials."

"Tony! She's in pain!"

"Then let's do this quickly," he said, his hand still out to Bruce but he didn't take his eyes off Andrea. It wasn't until a few seconds had passed that he looked to see Bruce's face contorted in turmoil. Then Andrea let out another shriek and Tony yelled, "NOW!"

Bruce grabbed the needle and the vials and handed them to Tony who quickly put the needle in her thigh. They watched in horror and fascination as the vial filled up with blue, thick liquid which quickly frosted the vial around it. The second it was full they removed it and shifted it to her arm, both of them having to hold her down so that she didn't move and hurt herself. They watched again as the blood slowly filled the vial, but this time her blood was purple-red, but as they pulled the vial out, they found it separating, blue sinking to the bottom and red filling the remainder. Tony stared at it fascinated as Bruce ran to get the hot water bottle. Refilling it he pressed it to her leg and soon Andrea's screaming stopped as she fell into unconsciousness. Bruce glared at Tony who looked at him and shrugged.

"What? We needed her blood!"

"Have you no boundaries?"

"What, you'd rather give the poison time to spread?"

Bruce looked like he was about to say something before curling his hands into fists and biting on his knuckle. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe deeply, supressing the other guy deeper and deeper. When he felt a familiar clarity fall over him, he opened his eyes to see the rest of the team standing over the three of them on the floor. Hastily, Bruce and Tony stood up.

"What happened?" Steve asked, stepping forward a little. Andrea didn't even move while Tony tried, and failed, to hide her blood behind his back. Natasha snatched the vial from him before he could even try to stop her and they looked at the strange mixture of blue and red. The three non-scientists looked at it, amazed.

"What's this?" Natasha directed the question at Bruce but Tony was never one to give up the spotlight.

"It's her blood."

"Mixed with what?"

"With nothing," he said and turned to look at the young woman lying on the floor. They all followed his gaze. "It's her blood."

"Doctor," Natasha said, throwing the vial at him, which he caught. "Explain."

Pushing his glasses further up his face, he started to speak. "For us, the components that make up blood are formed in the bone marrow but it would appear that Loki's blood works differently."

"Differently how?"

"From observation," he said, turning to glance briefly at his patient. "It would appear his blood cells duplicate themselves, thusly his blood can spread through her body. It also seems that it's shutting down the production of white and red blood cells in her bone marrow."

"Wait," Steve said, holding up a hand. "What does that mean?"

It means," Tony said gravely, interrupting the doctor. "That her blood will be completely replaced by his. It'll either kill her, or change her."

"Into him." They turned and saw that Andrea had regained consciousness and was staring at them in horror. "I'll become like him."

"No." Tony stepped a little closer to her and dropped to his knees beside her. "We won't let it change you. Or kill you."

"You swear it?"

"Yes," Tony said with a small smile. She looked up at the people around her and each of them nodded. She allowed herself to be helped to her feet before taking the cloth still tied around her arm and wrapping it around her leg to hold the hot water bottle there. Tony looked at it with a chuckle as they all lead her back upstairs. "You need something more permanent than that."

"I'm sure I can think of something." He looked at her with raised eyebrows and from behind them Bruce laughed. Tony turned with a confused look and he elaborated.

"She's an engineer who works for you, Tony. I think she can figure something out."

"I'm a _biochemical_ engineer. Mechanics aren't my thing." Tony's eyebrow rose again. "I was one of the many who had to find a new job when you shut down weapons manufacturing. At least I had two degrees."

Tony thought he heard Natasha chuckle and he bit his cheek to fight a remark. They all clambered into the elevator and got out when it got to their level. They led her back to the sofa and she sat down. All eyes were on her and she knew it was question time. Perhaps they could answer some of hers in return.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When everyone was sitting down, Andrea took advantage of the silence to get her questions in first. "Who's Sigyn?"

They all looked at each other, some shifting uncomfortably but none of them meeting her eye. She bit back a frustrated groan before speaking. "I think you at least owe me an answer to why I've been…infected."

Natasha, Clint, Bruce and Tony all exchanged looks before, seemingly, coming to their conclusion that it was safe to tell her to truth. Clint stood and disappeared into another room behind them as Natasha spoke. "What do you know about Loki?"

"He was the man who destroyed Manhattan," Andrea answered and Tony sighed, his head falling into his hands. Natasha smiled a little.

"Beyond that, do you know anything about him?" Andrea shook her head. "Loki is the Norse God of Mischief, once worshipped by the Vikings. He is a frost giant, which are a monstrous race existing to cause havoc. He has magical abilities which are unparalleled by any other sorcerer in history."

"But what does this have to do with Sigyn?"

"This." Clint had returned and was now holding a book on Norse Mythology. He handed it to Andrea opened to a specific entry. "Read."

She took the book and read. "_Sigyn, a nymph goddess of fidelity. The_…" she faltered before continuing. "_The wife of Loki."_

She looked up in the hope to meet objection but found none, instead Clint motioned for her to turn the page. She did so and was stunned by what she saw. The woman illustrated might as well have been a portrait of her. The woman had long, black hair that fell to the small of her back. She was thin and elegant with curves and height on her side. She had a pretty face but seeming dense and vacant, something Andrea had often been accused of, and her eyes were the colour of brewing storm clouds. So similar were the two that she felt as though this must all be some obscene joke. However, the age of the book and the yellowing pages told her the truth of the story. Taking a deep breath, Andrea looked up into five pairs of concerned eyes.

"If he is married, why does he want me?"

"We don't know," Steve said, leaning forward in his seat with his elbows pressed to his knees. "He might well be trying to kill you."

"But if he was going to kill her, why didn't he snap her neck when he got the chance?" Tony argued.

"He's the God of Mischief. He wants to bring pain."

"There are easier ways."

Steve opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted by a terrific clap of thunder outside their window. Andrea jumped but the rest seemed very calm, looking with anticipation towards the door. A few moments later, a tall, blonde man with muscles to rival any body builder walked into the room, looking around grimly. "My friends! It would appear that Loki had returned here to Midgard. His purpose I cannot pretend to know. However I bring news of his-"

He stopped short when he saw Andrea and he stepped back. "Sigyn! How come you to Midgard? I was told you had taken Loki's place beneath Snake of Skaði!"

Before Andrea could answer, Natasha spoke for her. "Thor, This is Andrea Destler, an employee of Stark's that Loki's attacked. What did you say happened to Sigyn?"

Looking between the assassin and Andrea, the blonde pursed his lips before answering. "After all he did to this world and others he was sentenced to 500 years beneath the snake of Skaði."

"Which is what?" Tony interrupted and the Thor grimaced.

"It is a most venomous snake that drips a most pungent acid from its fangs bringing the most intense agony. Loki was destined to spend the next half-millennia beneath it."

"And you say that his wife, Sigyn, took his place?" Steve asked and the Norse God nodded.

"Indeed she did. After seeing the pain he was in, she made a plea to the Allfather who traded his freedom for hers. It is there she lies still beneath that drip; however she breathed her final breath a few days ago."

"She's dead?" Andrea spoke for the first time and Thor turned to look at her, nodding grimly.

"Correct. It is this I came to tell you. To beware. Loki's rage brought his madness, I dare not think what his grief and guilt shall bring."

"I think we already know," Bruce muttered looking at Andrea who looked down at her legs. This immediately caught Thor's attention and he walked over to her, placing his hammer beside the door. He stood in front of her and looked down intently for a moment, before turning to Natasha, looking angry.

"You told me that he had attacked her." The blonde's voice boomed around the room loudly and menacingly.

"He did," the she answered as calmly as she could. Thor grabbed Andrea's arm and ran his hand along it. The others gathered closer to see the slight bluish tinge her skin had started to pigment. It was hardly noticeable, but it was there.

"He has not attacked her, he has defiled her!"

"What!" Andrea said, snatching her arm back. "No! He never…"

"That is not what I meant Si- Andrea. I mean that he has given you his blood and thusly you are his."

"No!" Andrea screamed." Never!"

"It is not your choice. Once his blood rules your body, you will be powerless to his will." Andrea couldn't speak and her head fell into her hands. Natasha, who was standing behind her, placed a comforting had on her shoulder. Andrea let a small sob pass her lips and all eyes on the room were on her, yet no-one knew what to say to comfort her; instead they opted for silence.

Suddenly, Clint pressed a finger to his earpiece before cursing under his breath. Natasha looked up at him. "What?"

"It's Fury," he answered and the rest of the room turned to look at him. "He knows what's happened here and he's on his way."

"Shit!" Tony said as he stood quickly, running around the room and yelling orders to JARVIS so quickly that no-one was sure even the super computer could keep up. Clint and Natasha both left the room quickly together, talking rapidly in what sounded like Latin, while Steve, Bruce and Thor all remained calmly sitting on the sofas, watching Andrea intently. She shifted slightly, uncomfortable under their stare. A few moments later, Tony returned and sat down beside Bruce hastily.

"No way is anyone getting into my lab now. Changed all the code and hyped the alarms."

"106-42-69. Extra fail safes in place and a fool proof lock on JARVIS's systems." Andrea didn't realise what she was saying until after she had said it and she quickly clamped a hand to her mouth as horror filled her eyes. Tony's eyes were a mix between confusion, fear and anger.

"How the hell did you-"

"I don't know!" she answered, her voice a hysterical whisper. "It was like the numbers and details just appeared in my head. I don't know why…how…what!?"

She buried her head in her hands and the two scientists and the super soldier looked to Thor who shook his head. "It is beginning."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Before Thor could answer the engineer's question, the door swung open, revealing a tall, black man with an eye-patch on his left eye wearing all black. He looked around the room with his one good eye as the two assassins came back into the room. His eyes locked with Andrea's.

"I hear we've got a hell of a security breach."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"This is Andrea Destler," Bruce said, standing suddenly at the Director's presence. "She's the one Loki-"

"I know," Fury said dismissively, moving closer to Andrea who tried to shift away, only finding herself pressed up against the Norse God of Thunder. She shrunk away from them both as the rooms attention turned to her. "How much does she know?"

"Nothing more than what we've explained to her, sir," Clint answered with the clipped tone anyone would take with their superior. With this, Fury walked over to Andrea and she stood, hunched slightly to hold the water bottle to her.

"My name is Director Fury and I am the head of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division; also known as SHIELD. You are in the company of our defence team known as the Avengers. They pulled you out from where Loki was holding you in the mid-west." He paused for a second so she could absorb the information before continuing. "Now, I need to know what happened to you."

Andrea looked around the room, at a sea of faces just as impenetrable as the Directors and she sat, taking a deep breath before recounting her story just as she had done for Bruce and Natasha earlier than day. By the time she had finished, the entire team was staring at her with a mixture of horror and sympathy in their eyes. Director Fury, however, remained as emotionless as ever.

"Did Loki make any other comments?" Andrea shook her head and the Director turned to Banner. "You've taken some blood?"

"Yes," he answered, shifting uncomfortably.

"Analyse it. I want the results by tomorrow." With that, the doctor disappeared, leaving to return to the labs. Fury turned his attention to the remainder of the team, his back to Andrea. "The rest of you, the safety of Miss Destler here is now your top priority. He obviously wants her for something and until we know what she is to remain under lock and key."

"I have a life, you know," Andrea said, her voice laced with irritation. Tony smirked.

"Not if you leave here, you won't," the Director stated coldly, without turning to look at her. "Until further notice, Miss Destler goes nowhere alone. I want to know every step she takes until we know what Loki's got planned. Understood?"

There was a grumbled acknowledgement from the team coupled with a few gruff shrugs and nods. Fury turned to leave but was met by Bruce running out of the elevator, a look of horror on his face.

"It's changed."

"What!?" There was a stiff silence in the room as attention turned to Bruce.

"Her blood, all her normal blood, has changed." To prove his point, he held up four, glass vials, each of them filled with a royal blue liquid. Andrea's grip tightened on the arm of the sofa.

"Based on that, how long does she have before the transfusion finishes?" Andrea hardly heard the billionaire's question, but the answer pierced her to the core.

"At this rate, about a week."

"A week…" The team's attention turned back to the victim of Loki's molestation as she repeated the doctor's words in a hushed whisper. She looked up at them and her eyes were stained with tears. "A week?"

Bruce nodded solemnly and she let the tears she had been trying to hold back roll down her cheeks. Natasha came over to her and hugged her awkwardly around the shoulders and Andrea let shuddered sobs rack through her, her hands pressed to her face. Steve came over and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, turning to Bruce. "Is there anything you can do?"

"I'll look into it." And with that he and Tony were gone again, Director Fury and Clint following moments after, leaving only Natasha, Steve, Thor and Andrea in the room. They let her cry herself out before helping her up and taking her to one of the many spare rooms on the level. The room they chose had white walls with mahogany furniture consisting of a bed, wardrobe, desk, chair, and nightstand. The bed had a deep red bedspread and pillows that looked soft and inviting. To her left there was a glass wall and door that opened to a small, personal balcony and to her right there was a small en suite. They sat her down on the bed and they all started to leave. Natasha was to be the last out but Andrea called her back.

"Natasha?" The assassin turned to face the woman sitting cross-legged in the centre of the bed and smiled. She walked back into the room and closed the door behind her; she then stood at the foot of the bed.

"Yes?"

"What would you do?" Natasha Romanoff wasn't prone to emotion but she felt her heart tear a little at the fear in this young woman's voice. She sat on the edge of the bed and put and hand over one of Andrea's. They were cold.

"I'd put my faith in Doctor Banner and Mr Stark."

"No you wouldn't," Andrea snapped back and Natasha recoiled a little at the remark. "You would track down Loki and destroy him, but not until after he told you how to save yourself."

There was a long pause before Natasha spoke. "You're right. That's exactly what I'd do."

Andrea smiled a little. "Then that's what I'll do."

She stood quickly but Natasha was fast. She got ahead of her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "No, no. You need to stay here."

"The answer doesn't lie in my blood, it's in his. I need him!" She tried to push past but the spy wasn't going to budge. Irritated, Andrea pushed the red-head, knocking her against the wall. Instinct took over and with one blow Natasha had knocked the young woman unconscious and she fell to the floor. It was at this moment the door opened and Tony looked in at the scene. His eyes widened and he looked at the Black Widow.

"How long will she be out?"

"About an hour," Natasha answered honestly and Tony smirked.

"Could you hit her again? We need her for two."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Bruce had just finished setting everything up in the lab when Tony returned, carrying an unconscious Andrea. He was followed closely by Agent Romanoff, Thor and Steve who were all looking around suspiciously. Carefully, Tony lay Andrea down on the table they had set up there and proceeded to attach an innumerable number of wires to different parts of her body while Bruce was working with various other pieces of machinery around the room. Thor was the first to lose patience.

"What is going on here?" he roared and the two scientists stopped, turning to look at him.

"We need to see what Loki's blood is doing to her so we need to test her for various conditions," Bruce said calmly.

"Then why is she unconscious?" Steve asked, taking a step forward.

"Because the pain would be unbearable. If you wouldn't mind stepping back."

"No," Steve said defensively, taking another step forward and the room turned to look at him. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You can't experiment on her without her permission."

"We'll get her permission," Tony answered, as he attached a few more wires to Andrea. "After she wakes up."

"By which time you would already have done your experiments."

"Neat, isn't it?" Steve's face contorted into one of hidden rage and, noticing it, Bruce stepped between the two.

"She gave me spoken permission earlier today." Seeing the captain still not convinced, he sighed. "JARVIS?"

"Playing audio file." There was a small beep before Andrea's voice filled the room. "'_Yes, test me all you want'_."

"There, permission. Now stand back!" Not waiting for an answer, Tony pushed Steve back and Bruce and he turned their attention back to their patient. Steve waited in the corner of the room, Thor stood anxiously across from Andrea, his eyes never leaving her face while Natasha walked around, monitoring the scientists progress as well as Andrea's vitals.

For the next hour and a half, Andrea had samples of her blood, hair, skin, nails and saliva taken, along with having various drugs and solutions pumped into her body. She was x-rayed from head to toe and had a full body scan done twice. Steve was looking at all the technology is bewildered amazement, his thoughts about Andrea pushed aside by his shock. After these ninety minutes of tests, the scientists sat comparing and collating the data their experiments had gained. Then, Andrea started to stir.

Picking up on this, Natasha motioned for Steve to come closer as she started to undo the various wires. When he did, she spoke to him directly. "Carry her upstairs to her room, then check that her balcony door is locked. After that leave, closing the door behind you, and stand guard outside. We don't want to take any chances."

"Yes, ma'am," Steve answered and made to pick up the blonde but Tony stopped him.

"Wait!" He walked over quickly, holding a thin, silver, mental sheet in his hand. He pulled down her pant leg enough so that her thigh was visible and bent the silver around her leg. Natasha looked at him suspicious and he rolled his eyes. "It's the same metal in the arc reactor. It gives off low levels of radiation and heat."

"Wait a second, isn't radiation dangerous?" Steve never claimed to know much about science but he did know some of the effects radiation had on the body. The best example was standing not three feet away from him. Bruce turned and smirked.

"This metal gives off alpha waves, they're highly ionising but only if they get into your body. They can't penetrate skin. She'll be fine."

He looked to Natasha for confirmation and she nodded. Then the Captain carefully picked up Andrea. Being especially careful of her, he got to her room and placed her down on the bed, pulling the covers over her. Then he went to the balcony, being careful to lock it, and left; closing the door behind him. He then leant against the door, folded his arms, and waited, prepared.

-/-/-

When Andrea woke up, her head ached. She knew Natasha had hit her hard but the after effects were far worse than she had expected. She closed her eyes tighter despite the fact that it was dark outside and the only light in to room came from the bathroom which was lit up brightly. She felt something hard and warm circling her leg and assumed it was designed to keep her warm. She also felt various puncture marks on her skin and knew they had been testing her but she couldn't find it in herself to care; they were trying to help her after all. Just as she decided to try and get some more sleep, she felt an icy hand on her cheek.

"You've still got more warmth than I expected." She sat up quickly and saw a pair of green eyes leering at her and two lines of white teeth grinning like the Cheshire cat. She screamed and rolled out of bed, falling to the floor and Loki tutted. "There's no point screaming. The soldier outside will remain oblivious due to the enchantment now resting on the door."

Andrea stood hastily and backed against the wall and he moved closer to her. "Keep away from me!"

"No," he said with a smirk. "You're mine to control. A privilege I intend to honour."

"You don't control me."

"Is that so?" he hummed and walked even closer to her so she could feel his breath on her neck. He leant forward and whispered one word in her ear. "Kneel."

In that second, Andrea felt as though someone was pushing on her head. She fought the urge as long as she could but eventually she could take it no more and she fell to her knees. She looked up at Loki, expecting to find a smirking face, but instead was met with a confused expression.

"Twelve seconds." He muttered, as if to himself, the words and Andrea didn't know what to think. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her to her feet before pressing her against the wall. She couldn't hide the fear in her eyes as he held her there. Then, he dipped his head and bit her in the crook of her neck, drawing blood. She let out a scream of pain as he licked the blue-red liquid that bled from the bite marks left there. He hissed and let go of her so she collapsed on the floor.

"Why are you still human?" When Andrea didn't answer, Loki picked her up and threw her onto the bed, before pressing a hand to her thigh. He felt the metal there and he smirked. Andrea watched in horror as dark green energy glowed around his hand before she felt ice forming on the band around her leg. It was then the pain started. She screamed and writhed but Loki's hand stayed steady. He laughed loudly as she thrashed about beneath him, her agonised screams bringing him great pleasure. Then he heard the door open.

"Andrea, are you-" Steve stopped dead, horrified by what he was seeing. Loki was facing him, but he was standing over Andrea, a hand pressed to her thigh as she screamed. Without thinking, he launched himself as the Asgardian. Immediately, Loki was gone, disappearing into green mist, but his laugh still echoed around the room. Forgetting the Norse God, he turned his attention to Andrea who was still shrieking on the bed. The spell broken by the open door, the rest of the Avengers had heard her yelling. Clint, who had just returned, was the first there after the Captain quickly followed by all the others together.

Tony's eyes were cold and harsh and he turned around, walking away quickly as he yelled back at them, "GET HER TO THE LAB!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Andrea was aware that she was being lifted from the bed, but her mind was focused entirely on the pain in her leg. She screamed as she was carried into the elevator and down to the lab for the fourth time that day. She felt herself being laid down on a steel table and soon the frozen metal around her thigh was removed, revealing violent blue skin beneath. Then she was aware of warm metal being bent around her and she relaxed into it. The pain soon subsided and she could bring herself back to reality, which entailed six worried faces. Tony was the first to speak, but not to her.

"What part of _'guard the door' _didn't you get, Capsicle?"

"I didn't hear anything until I opened the door! How was I supposed-"

"God forbid you check occasionally!"

"I did! That's how I found her when I did!"

"Oh, yes. Quite the hero, aren't you."

"STOP!" Andrea's yell caught all attention as they turned to face her just in time to see her skin fade back from being a pale blue. "He put some sort of spell on the door. There was no way anyone would have heard him."

Before anyone could start arguing, Bruce noticed her neck. "What did he do to you?"

He walked over and looked pointedly at the bite marks located there and everyone's attention was on it. Suddenly Andrea felt very self-conscious. She tried to shift away but Tony's hand held her where she was. She looked up and met two chocolate brown eyes. The billionaire's cold glare told her just how angry he was. "Andrea, what did he do?"

"Loki-" His name tasted like poison in her mouth and she took a deep breath to steady herself before continuing. "He came into the room and…he told me to kneel."

"Might as well be his only word," Tony muttered and received a harsh shushing from Natasha.

"But…I felt like I had too. I fought it but it was like being pushed on the head until I fell to my knees." Thor shook his head slightly and solemnly. Andrea picked up on this and looked down at her knees, now pulled up to her chest. "Then he got angry."

This caught everyone's attention, Thor's especially. "Why?"

"He was muttering something about twelve seconds." Everyone turned to look at Thor, hoping for an explanation which he seemed willing to give.

"This process had been done before to other races as well as you Midgardians, peacefully and consensually. However, as far as my knowledge goes, it has never taken longer than twenty-four hours."

There was an intake of breath by almost everyone in the room, clearly shocked by this new information before they all turned back to Andrea.

"Then what?" Obeying the Captain, Andrea continued.

"Then he pushed me up against the wall and…" she ran her fingertips over the bite marks. "And he BIT ME!"

Looking around the room, Andrea gained that the general reaction was horror; stunned horror. Taking advantage of their silence, she carried on with her tale. "He tasted my blood and threw me back onto the bed. He asked me why I was still…human. When I didn't answer he pressed his hand to my thigh and I think he felt this…metal you've put on me. Then his hand glowed dark green and it felt like the metal was freezing. The pain came back and I was screaming but he wouldn't let go and he was laughing. His eyes were so joyous and I just-"

She put her head in her hands and let a sob pass her lips before inhaling sharply, pulling herself together. She looked up and turned to Steve. "Then Steve walked in and Lo- He was gone."

The Avengers all looked between each other, none knowing quite what to do. Then the scientist in Bruce lurched and he spoke, pushing up his glasses as he did so. "It would seem that Loki is growing impatient and wants to speed up the process."

"From what Point Break here said, it sounds like he thought she'd finished cooking." Tony's remark earned him glares from everyone in the room, Andrea included, which he shrugged off with nonchalance as Dr Banner continued.

"With your permission, Andrea, I'd like to take some more blood." Much to everyone's surprise, she laughed.

"Do I have any left? You took four vials off me earlier and, based on puncture wounds, six more while I was unconscious." Natasha and Clint both looked at each other, fighting back a smirk as Bruce scratched the back of his head awkwardly and Tony pressed his tongue to his cheek. Thor laughed loudly and even Steve chuckled. She knew the scientists were still waiting for an answer, and so she provided one. She held out both her arms. "Take what you want."

Bruce moved in to start when Tony's head suddenly snapped up. "Blood."

"What?" Bruce mumbled, not really paying attention.

"She needs blood."

"I was joking about you taking too much, Stark," Andrea said with a smirk but Tony waved her comment away, standing quickly to face her.

"No, I mean your blood is being changed to quickly, so what you need is more uncontaminated blood." He ran over to the computer hastily. "What blood type are you."

"Uh, A…A positive," she responded, concerned about what was about to happen. Tony entered this into the computer and soon spun around in his chair and pointed at Bruce.

"You're A positive."

Bruce shook his head. "Yes, but I doubt you could call my blood 'uncontaminated'."

"True," Tony said, turning in his chair to face Clint. "But Legolas here has also got straight A's in his blood."

Clint groaned but Natasha punched him in the shoulder. He turned to her and she smirked. With a sigh, he stepped forward and rolled up his sleeves. "Fine."

Bruce motioned for him to sit in a chair beside the steel bed Andrea was on and he did so without complaint, despite his hate of authority. Immediately the doctor took his blood pressure before pushing a butterfly needle into a vein in his inner elbow. Clint looked across and saw Andrea with the same thing, but neither of them had anything connected. They both turned to look at Tony who was rummaging through a drawer.

"What are you doing?" Andrea inquired before being answered by a triumphant look from tony as he pulled a long, thin, plastic tube and some various other tools from where he'd been hunting. "Shouldn't he be hooked up to a bag or something?"

"No, takes too long," Tony said, connecting one side of the tube to the butterfly needle in Andrea's arm. "Direct transfusion's faster."

"Wow, no." Tony looked up to see Clint shaking his head. "That means her blood could get mixed with mine. One drop of her blood and I might end up like Loki, too."

"Relax," Tony said as he attached the other side of the tube to Clint. "That's what this is for."

He pointed to a small, clamp-like device around the base of Andrea's butterfly needle. "That will stop any of her blood leaving her body. As long as neither of you have HIV you'll be fine. Now," he said, flicking a switch on a small device connected to the tube. Blood started to flow from Clint into Andrea. "Fill'er up."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Fifteen minutes after the device had started running everyone else had left, finding the process very boring. Now Clint and Andrea were alone in the room, connected by a thin, plastic tube filled with blood. Neither of them had spoken since the process began but now they were alone a thought crossed Andrea's mind and she couldn't help but giggle. Clint looked over at her, confused.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said, trying to hold back her laugh. "It's just that I've become a sort of blood bank."

Clint chuckled a little and Andrea smiled before silence ensued again. However, Andrea didn't really like silence, but gossip was something she enjoyed. "What's up with you and Natasha?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he responded sharply, turning to glare at her. She shrunk away a little.

"Nothing. You two just seem very…close." Clint smirked a little at that.

"We work together. We're friends." Andrea raised an eyebrow and he rolled his eyes. "Close friends. Satisfied?"

"Not really, but I doubt you're going to tell me anything else." There was silence for a long moment, neither of them looking at each other. Hawkeye was used to hours of silence when necessary but Andrea started to grow more and more uncomfortable. She shifted slightly, pulling on the tube connecting them, which caused Clint to give a hiss of discomfort as the needle was tugged slightly. Andrea quickly apologised but he noticed her discomfort. He let out a sigh before speaking.

"What do you want to know?" Andrea smiled gratefully.

"How did you meet?" Clint's eyes narrowed and she rolled her eyes. "Until further notice, I'm under house arrest. You can trust me."

"I was sent to kill her." The blank tone in his voice made these words even more alarming to her and her eyes widened comically. He looked over and smirked, before explaining. "We're both assassins. She was notoriously known as the Black Widow, she still is, but before she was on the wrong side. SHIELD sent me to kill her but her skills…they seemed such a waste to destroy. Instead, I brought her back with me to SHIELD. Fury made me sign to take full responsibility for her actions, which I did. I, and some others, retrained her a little and then she was fit to work for us. We've been partners ever since."

"When you say partners…" Clint's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"_Work_ partners. We work together."

"Whatever you say," Andrea answered, the smirk not just on her face, but in her voice. Clint opened his mouth to retort but was cut short by the flamboyant entrance of a certain billionaire.

"How are we doing in here?" Tony ran over to the computer and checked the information running there. He smiled a little, just a twitch in the corner of his mouth, before turning to the pair. He turned off the machine and immediately blood stopped flowing through the tubing. He pulled it out of Clint's arm first before undoing the tube on Andrea's side, bust still leaving the butterfly needle in place. She looked down at it confused and he smirked. "Might as well get another blood draw while where here."

She smiled and Clint laughed lightly as Tony pressed a vial to her arm which quickly filled with blood. He pulled it off and they all looked at it in anticipation. As the liquid settled, they all noticed a small portion of blue in the bottom, but it was significantly less than before. Andrea grinned widely and Tony followed suit, the pair of them too happy to speak. Clint however wasn't affected by this. "Can I go now?"

"Yup," Tony answered, turning back to his computer. Andrea stood up and walked over to Clint. She smiled and hugged him. Clint's arms hung awkwardly at his side and she laughed, pulling back.

"Thank-you, Agent Barton."

"No problem," he answered swiftly, rolling his sleeve back down. He left and soon it was just Tony and Andrea in the lab. She watched him for a while as he went through all the information he had but he seemed completely oblivious to her existence. After about two minutes of silence, she cleared her throat loudly, eliciting a very unmanly yelp from Tony. She giggled and he turned around.

"You're still here?"

"Nowhere to go," she answered quickly, sitting in one of the lab chairs.

"You have a bedroom upstairs." His clipped tone indicated to her that he was trying to give her reason to go away. Sighing, she stood and walked to the door, pulling it open. She turned back to see Tony Stark scratching his head as he stared at his monitor, clearly in an animated discussion with himself. She smirked as she walked towards the elevator.

Getting in, she realised that this was the first time that she'd been allowed to move alone. No doubt she wasn't supposed to but Tony was clearly too self-obsessed to worry about her. The thought made her smiled a little. When the doors opened, she stepped out into the Avengers' living room. All of them were there save the genius, philanthropist that was working six stories below. They smiled at her as she entered and she reciprocated.

Walking through the room, she caught sight of the clock. _Dear God, is it really 11.00pm?_ Then it struck her that all of these spectacular, albeit it horrific, events had occurred to her not 24 hours previous. The thought made her shiver and she went to the kitchen adjoining to get water, the room suddenly feeling very warm. Opening the fridge, she poured herself a glass of cold water and downed it in one gulp. She went to drink another but a hand pressed itself over the top of her glass. She looked up to see Bruce Banner staring at her, his eyes full of concern.

"Are you feeling feverish?" The second he asked the question, she knew the answer and she nodded. He took his hand off her glass and she drank it quickly. "I thought as much. Go to bed."

She didn't argue and sent herself to her room. Collapsing on top of the covers she shivered as another horrid wave of fever settled over her. She felt sweat cascade down from her temple to her neck and she grimaced at the feeling. A few minutes later, Bruce appeared with a thermometer which he stuck under her tongue. After a few seconds, he pulled it out again, looking at it with a raised eyebrow.

"You have a slight fever; probably a reaction to Clint's blood transfusion. It should be gone in the morning. Try to sleep it off."

"I can't sleep like this," Andrea groaned and Bruce sighed. He left again but returned even faster, holding two pills and a glass of water. She looked at his quizzically so he explained.

"Sleeping pills. Nothing to strong but they should help you get some rest." She took them and lay back down with a strict order not to get up again unless she had to. It was just a few moments later that, through her sweaty shivering, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

When Andrea woke up the next morning, her fever was gone. She smiled, rolling out of bed. Walking to the bathroom, she splashed some cold water on her face before noticing a post-it note on the mirror:

_Clothes in wardrobe. Hopefully they fit –Natasha_

Smiling, she pulled it off the mirror and walked back into her bedroom, going straight to the wardrobe that stood against the wall. On opening it she found it ordered from left to right with shirts, dresses, skirts and jackets with the right side filled with drawers. The top contained underwear and socks, the next had pants, shorts and leggings, and the bottom was empty. The floor of the wardrobe had four pairs of shoes; trainers, boots, converse and black heels. Smiling, she changed her underwear, pulled on a pair of jeans. Going through the shirts, she finally selected a black tank top and hoodie. Then she pulled on a pair of socks and the blue converse. Everything fit perfectly. She smiled as she went back into the bathroom and put on some light make-up. Giving herself a final once over, she left the room.

Walking out into the kitchen, she found Natasha making coffee. The assassin turned when she heard her and smiled. "You're looking better."

"I feel a bit better," Andrea answered a smile on her lips. Natasha handed her the coffee pot and, gratefully, she poured herself a cup, drinking in the scent. She let out a sigh and gripped the mug, warming her hands. Looking around she saw no-one but the red-head. "Where are the others?"

"Stark's still in bed, which isn't unusual. Banner's down in the lab while the Captain, Thor and Barton are back at SHIELD HQ."

"Why aren't you with them?" Andrea inquired, taking a sip of her coffee which warmed her to the core.

"It's my shift." As Natasha took a sip, Andrea's heart sank. They still thought of her as something in need of protecting; they thought she was dangerous. Perhaps she was, but she didn't feel dangerous. If anything, she felt perfectly fine. Her hand slid down her leg, resting on her thigh when she realised something. Pressing down, she couldn't feel the metal, only her own flesh and her eyes widened. Natasha picked up on this. "What is it?"

"The brace."

"What about it?"

"I'm not wearing it." This caught the spy's full attention and she put her coffee down on the bench behind her. She disappeared into Andrea's room and returned a few moments later, holding the silver sheet in her hand. Andrea relaxed a little but, on noticing Natasha didn't, her voice became strained. "What?"

"The whole point of you wearing this," she said, waving the metal in her hand, "was to stop the pain."

"But I'm not in-" At that moment it hit her and she looked at Natasha with wide eyes. Agent Romanov nodded and walked forward, pressing the sheet into Andrea's hands. She looked down at it, shocked before looking back up again. Natasha sighed.

"Let's go see the doctor."

-/-/-

Bruce pulled his glasses off his nose and rubbed his eyes, trying to remove the exhaustion there. He hadn't slept properly that night, his head filled with numbers and chemical symbols, so he thought it better to just work. And now he sat, rubbing his temples, staring at one of Stark's most advance computers as he used his fingertips to adjust various settings and information. He was about to run some more tests on Andrea's blood when the door opened and the woman herself entered in the tow of Natasha Romanov.

"There's been a development," Agent Romanov said forcefully, sitting Andrea down in a chair near the doctor. Bruce tilted his head to the side in confusion before catching sight of the metal she held in her hands. His eyes widened and he knelt down in from of her, pressing a cautious hand to her thigh. He was surprised to find it warm. Looking up, he was met with grey eyes filled with confusion, but not pain, which startled him. Hastily he stood and rummaged through the drawers until he pulled out the familiar butterfly needle and vials. Obliging his silent request, Andrea started to roll up her sleeve but was stopped by a warm hand on her wrist.

"If you don't mind, I need to take blood from the injection site." She nodded and rolled her sleeve back down before pulling her pant leg down enough to reveal her thigh. She saw Bruce blush slightly as she laughed a little. Natasha, who had also seen this, joined in. Shaking his head, amused by them, Bruce did his job, taking three vials of blood from her thigh. They all watched in amazement as her blood settled in the vials but remained pure and scarlet.

"Does this mean I'm…cured?" Bruce looked up at her with worried eyes, his brow furrowed in curiosity, but he said nothing. She turned to Natasha with a smile. "Perhaps Clint's blood is more useful than-"

"No," The doctor interrupted, walking back to the computer. "No, it's more likely it was the fever."

"The fever?" Natasha enquired, coming to stand beside Andrea. "How?"

"Well ,the whole purpose of a fever is to burn away the imposter. Your body was fighting Agent Barton's blood but it would appear that Loki's was caught in the cross fire."

"And he's a frost giant," Agent Romanov added, stepping forward. "I can't imagine his blood is terribly fond of heat."

A small smirk crossed Bruce's face as he analysed Andrea's blood. "Probably not. No."

A few minutes passed in silence as they all waited for the computers final result, telling them whether Andrea was truly free of Loki. The hollow silence was destroyed by a loud beeping coming from the computer and everyone turned to look at the screen. Andrea's anxiety had peaked and she couldn't hold back from asking, "What does it say?"

Before Bruce could answer, JARVIS interrupted with the news. "It would appear all the alien blood cells have been obliterated, Miss Destler."

Andrea couldn't fight the wide grin that spread across her face and she jumped up from her chair. She ran over to Bruce and hugged him tightly around the neck, kissing his cheek. He blushed furiously and she laughed wildly, both of them joining in. There were joyous giggles throughout the lab for a moment before JARVIS spoke again, even his computer voice sounding jolly. "Should I inform the others?"

"Yes," Natasha said clearly. "Be sure to tell the Director as well."

"Of course Agent Romanov." Andrea could have sworn there was a smirk in his voice but dismissed it quickly in her happiness. She bounded around the lab, saying thank-you over and over again until the beeping of Bruce's phone stopped her. The three of them crowded around the read the text from Tony:

_Knew we'd solve it! See Andrea, told you we wouldn't let him hurt you ;D_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

After the news spread through the Avengers that Andrea was no longer in danger of becoming a Frost Giant Asgardian, the atmosphere was significantly more relaxed. Andrea didn't feel the need to walk around on tiptoes and everyone else seemed more open to her. She had immediately asked if she could go home, but Bruce wanted to keep her there for a little longer, to ensure that she wouldn't relapse. She would have fought it, but having two master assassins, a super soldier, Iron Man and a Norse God all seconding the doctor's opinion, she decided it would be easier to stay.

It had been three days since the she had been cleared as human and her past pain seemed almost forgotten. Since then, Clint and Natasha had been called away to Budapest for an assignment and Thor, after the knowledge that the threat from Loki was neutralised, went to go and see Jane and Steve and Bruce were in the lab for some reason. Never the less, when Tony stumbled out of bed that day, he found Andrea sitting alone, reading the same book they had showed her to display her fate. It seemed that, even though she was free of him physically, her mind was still drawn to Loki.

"Good morning Andrea," Tony mumbled as he walked into the kitchen, fumbling around in a desperate attempt to make coffee.

"Good afternoon," she corrected and he turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. She smirked a little. "It stopped being morning just over an hour ago."

"I haven't had coffee yet. It's morning." Andrea sniggered as the billionaire poured himself a steaming cup of the now brewed coffee. He took a sip and smiled at the warmth it brought before turning to face her again. It was only now, that his brain had woken up, that he noticed something odd about her. "You're wearing a jacket."

"It's cold," she answered smoothly. There was something about her reply that out him on edge. Her answer sounded so rehearsed, like she was waiting for someone to ask. Quickly his concern grew.

"JARVIS?"

"The temperature is currently 78.8°F. However-"

"Mute." He turned back to Andrea who seemed uncharacteristically nervous.

"I just felt cold."

"Then why are you sweating?" Quickly she made to wipe the beads of sweat from her forehead but the damage was already done. Tony's eyes narrowed. "Show me your arms."

"No," she scoffed, but Tony wasn't one to give up easily. He gave her a once over with his eyes before coming to his conclusions ad asking again, but with more force.

"Show me your arms."

"No." Tony put down his coffee and moved closer to her, his eyes blazing. Andrea looked almost afraid.

"Show me."

"I said no!" She stood up to get away from him but before her protests could be said again, he grabbed her arm and forced the sleeve of her jacket up, revealing a pale blue arm. Taken aback, he stumbled away from her and she pulled her sleeve back down. Composing himself, he moved closer again, grabbing her around the bicep.

"No!" she yelled and pressed her palms to his chest to push him away. However, he fell back immediately, dropping to the floor, unconscious. She fell to her knees beside him and looked down at her hands, seeing dark green energy crackling around them. Panic filled her mind and she called out to the houses AI. "JARVIS!"

"Mr Starks breathing and vital signs all appear normal and the Arc Reactor is functioning at 100% capacity."

"Thank God," she whispered, looking down at Tony. She wanted to touch him and make sure he was alright, but she didn't dare in case she hurt him. JARVIS's voice broke her from her slight trance.

"Miss Destler, I feel I should warm you that Dr Banner and Captain Rodgers are at the door." Before she could react, Steve and Bruce strode into the room. They took one look at the situation and dropped down beside Andrea. Bruce turned his attention immediately to helping the fallen inventor.

"What happened?" the Captain asked forcefully, looking right at Andrea.

"I…" Andrea wasn't even sure she knew. "He grabbed my arm so-"

"Why did he grab you?" Steve interrupted. Andrea silently cursed herself.

"To make a point. He was talking to me," she lied, her voice cracking a little but no-one seemed to notice so she continued. "He grabbed me so I put my hand on his chest to push him away but…"

She fell silent and for a moment no-one spoke. Then a groan came from the fallen billionaire as he tried to sit up. All attention was instantly turned to him. "Tony! What happened?"

He shrugged off his fellow scientists concerns with a wave of his hand. "I'm fine. Andrea just pushed me away a little too hard. I guess I hit my head on the floor."

Andrea looked at him amazed and he winked at her when the others turned away. She smiled slightly before Bruce spoke again. "There's no blood so you probably have a bruise somewhere on your head; maybe a fracture. I'd like to scan-"

"Please, I'm fine," Tony said standing up but his legs were a little wobbly. He walked over to the sofa and sat down. Steve and Bruce looked at him with concern and he let out an irritated sigh. "There's nothing wrong with me. Just a bump on the head."

The two men looked at each other before Bruce turned back to Tony. "You don't seem concussed but don't sleep until tonight. Also no alcohol, heavy work or detailed thinking for twenty-eight hours."

"Mooooooom," Tony whined and Bruce smirked a little. With a warning glare the two men left again, leaving Andrea and Tony alone.

"Why did you lie to them?" Tony looked up at her from where he was lying on the sofa and laughed a little.

"Because of how horrified you looked." Andrea blushed lightly and looked down at her hands. Tony sat up and stared at her. When she looked up again, her grey eyes met the intense gaze of his chocolate brown ones.

"What?"

"Let me see your arm." She instantly shied away from him and he softened his gaze a little. "Please."

Tentatively, Andrea gave him her arm and he rolled up her sleeve, running his fingertips along her skin. She shuddered a little. "Your skin's cold. Like ice."

Her only answer was a nod as he turned her hand over in his so her palm faced upwards. He traced the lines there softly. "You electrocuted me with your hands."

Instantly, embarrassment and shame shot through Andrea. "I didn't mean-"

"I know," he said comfortingly, smiling at her softly. "What I don't know, is how."

"Neither do I. I was angry and scared and then…" She stopped, looking down at her hands.

"Show me." His words caught her off guard and she looked up sharply to see the famous billionaire grinning at her. He stood up and held his arms out wide. "Show me."

"I can't…"

"Sure you can," he answered smoothly, the smile never leaving his face.

"I can't. I don't know how. I hurt you. I only did it because I was scared. I don't know why or…" She knew she was babbling but she didn't know how to stop, her mouth just kept moving against her will. Tony dropped his hands and walked over to the bar, pouring himself a stiff drink before talking, but not to her.

"JARVIS."

"Yes sir?" The smile was wiped from his face and he looked at her with sad eyes before taking a sip of his scotch.

"Scare the hell out of her." Before she could make any form of protest, Loki stood before her and she let out a loud shriek. She stood and started to back away into the corner of the room.

"Stay away from me!" Loki grinned widely and fear shot through her. A tear of sheer terror fell from her eyes as Andrea pressed herself closer to the wall, her palms against it. Loki started to advance upon her and she let out another scream. "Keep away!"

He didn't listen and continued walking towards her; slowly, like a tiger approaching its prey. When he was about a foot from her, Andrea held her hands in front of her face, tears shooting down her face and she yelled, "NO!"

In that second, a large bolt of green energy shot from her hands into Loki, whose figure dissolved into long lines of red, binary code. Then the hologram was gone completely. Andrea slid down the wall and hugged her knees to her, crying from fear. Then she felt arms wrap around her shoulders and she found herself crying into someone's chest where a pale blue light illuminated her face.

"I'm sorry," Tony whispered as her pressed a light kiss to her hair. "I didn't know you'd be so afraid."

After a minute, Andrea managed to pull herself together again and she smiled up at Tony weakly. "Did JARVIS get a reading?"

The inventor smiled at her and helped her to her feet, sitting her down on the sofa before turning his attention to his AI. "JARVIS?"

"3.74 gigawatts of pure energy, sir. Luckily you built my systems to cope with such power."

"3.74 gigawatts…" Andrea whispered, staring down at her hands in shock. Tony looked at her with his brow furrowed, puzzled. "That should have killed you."

"A lot of things should have killed me," Tony answered with a smile as she looked up at him he sat down beside her and tapped the arc reactor through his shirt. "It just so happens that the same device keeps saving me."

"That…that…"

"Absorbed the energy," he finished for her. "You actually recharged it. Something I've never managed to do. You could save me a lot of time."

"Or kill you by mistake." On realising just how scared she really was, he dropped his joking nature and took both her hands in his, from which all the energy had faded. Andrea raised her head to look him in the eye as he spoke.

""Listen, you're in a horrible situation right now. Clearly Loki's blood is still running in your veins and we won't be able to get rid of it without killing you in the process. But he seems to have given you more than anticipated, so make the most of it."

"How?" She al but whispered the question.

"Learn to control it, before it controls you." Andrea let out a slight smile before noticing a cut on the back of his hand. Following her gaze he explained. "I dropped the glass when you screamed earlier. I guess I cut myself."

Without thinking, Andrea wrapped her hands around his and closed her eyes. Dark green energy floated around her hands and she murmured a spell she read in the old Norse mythology book. After a minute, she pulled her hands away and it was like there hand never been a wound on his hand. A wild grin spread across Tony's face. "If you can do that without trying, imagine what you'd be capable of if you trained!"

"If he doesn't take me first."

Again, Tony's gaze became serious and he put a hand under her chin so she faced him fully. "We won't let him."

"You won't be able to stop him."

"No," he said, a sad smile on his face. "But you will."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"And you're sure you haven't had any new effects?" Bruce asked, turning away from her to analyse the vial of blood he held in his hand, now tinged slightly bluer in colour. Andrea glanced back at Tony who answered before she could.

"No, nothing new."

"But the pain's gone," he stated plainly, turning to look at her and she nodded. He pursed his lips.

"That's odd." The words were muttered to himself so softly that the other two had to strain to hear him. He seemed lost in thought for a moment before his head snapped up and he looked around Andrea to stare at Tony pointedly. The latter crossed his arms over his chest as he was addressed by the scientist. "If there was no pain, or any new effect, how did you know that the change had restarted?"

Andrea shifted uncomfortably but Tony didn't so much a twitch in discomfort. With a very convincing sigh of boredom, he walked forward, grabbed Bruce's hand and pressed it to Andrea's neck. She tried to move away from the contact, as did Bruce, but the billionaire held them both in place, turning his eyes to Bruce. "Her skin is freezing, I was suspicious."

Bruce pulled away and stared at them both for a long while before glaring at Tony harshly; so harshly that instinctively, Tony back away, worried about the other guy being long overdue for a play day. Noticing his friends obvious worry, he took a deep breath, removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes before speaking, his voice laced with exhausted irritation. "Tony, I need to know what you _saw_."

"I don't understand," Tony said, standing behind Andrea. "I told you her skin-"

"STOP LYING TO ME!" His sudden burst of anger mixed with him slamming his fists on the table caused Andrea to jump, afraid by his sudden change in temperament. Tony's eyes widened a little but he made no move.

"You think you can frighten me into telling you something that wasn't there?" Andrea looked up to see Bruce instantly relax. Clearly his acting ability was far above what she believed it to be. She watched the two men stare at each other until she couldn't take anymore and she rolled up her sleeve, revealing her arm, still a pale blue. Bruce's eyes snapped to it and he pressed his hand against her skin, jumping back when he felt how cold the area was to touch. Tony laced his fingers in his hair and let out a sigh. Bruce wasn't paying him any attention, his focus completely on her.

"When did this appear?"

"This morning," she answered honestly and he let go turning back to his computer. Andrea shifted a little, unsure if she should tell him the full truth. Finally, she decided it might be better for her to do so. She sat up straight and said, a little too loudly, "There's more."

The doctor turned quickly but Tony reacted faster. He hurried forward and pressed a hand to her shoulder, squeezing so tightly it was almost painful. "Andrea, stop."

"No, don't." The trio turned to see Clint, Natasha, Thor, who had recently returned, and Steve all standing in the door of the lab. Steve stalked forward and flicked Tony's hand off Andrea. "You don't control her, Stark."

"If I don't, then Loki well. Tell me, which of us is better?"

"At the moment, with the way you're acting, probably Loki." This was the closest the Captain had ever come to just being cruel and everyone was stunned into silence, including Tony who for the first time in his life didn't have a comeback. Taking advantage of the silence, Steve walked around so he was standing in front of Andrea with his back to everyone else. He smiled at her slightly and took her hand kindly. She looked at him as he asked, "What else is there?"

Andrea looked at Tony who shook his head at her, silently begging her to stop, but she knew it was for everyone's benefit that she told the truth. She took a deep breath before standing up, ignoring everyone and walking over to Tony. He looked at her sadly but, on seeing what she wanted him to do in her eyes, he nodded. She smiled a little and took a step back, noticing how everyone else did as well. They watched in anticipation and Tony and Andrea began.

A few seconds passed in which there was a complete silence before the genius suddenly lunged at Andrea, malice in his eyes. Faster than anyone could react, Andrea raised her hand in front of her, as if she was touching a glass wall, and a bolt of green energy shot from her hand. Tony flew backwards into the wall and everyone stood, stunned by what they had witnessed. The dark green magic crackled around Andrea's hands and she balled them into fists quickly before sinking down to the floor, feeling drained. Tony stood up slowly and walked over to her. Then with the help of the Captain, they got her to stand and lead her back to the chair she had previously occupied. She smiled at them weakly.

"Tada," she whispered, trying to make light of the situation but on receiving no encouragement she stopped. There was silence around the room for a long while before Bruce spoke, his voice tired.

"You didn't hit your head this morning, did you?"

"No," he said honestly before explaining what really occurred earlier that day. They all listened in amazement and fascination to the true story. As he finished, Thor spoke up.

"This is most unusual," he boomed and they all turned to look at his as he explained. "Never has the magic of one passed into another in this way, for magic is something far too strong for most ordinary people to bear, let alone receive and use without their own immediate destruction."

Andrea sat and played with her hands, catching parts of the conversation carrying on around her but she was too distracted by the pain shooting through her. Looking down at her hands she watched them take on a slightly bluer tone as her blood seemed to freeze in her veins. She bit her lip to prevent herself letting out a groan of pain, but Clint and his ability to see all noticed and he stopped the conversation suddenly, turning attention to her in an instant.

"Where," he asked bluntly, but she knew what he was asking. She held up her hands in a prayer position.

"My hands. It feels like my blood is freezing. But it's not that bad." Before she could protest, Bruce grabbed her hands and looked down at them curiously. The other Avengers watched to see what conclusions he would make. Eventually he let out a sigh.

"It seems like the process is speed up by the use of your magic. Probably because of the energy it takes. What you're feeling is exactly what you described; your blood is…freezing." Andrea's only response was a sharp intake of breath and she let her hands fall into her lap, her head falling to look down at them. She could feel the other's pitying gaze but she didn't want it. She didn't need their pity. Before she could express this, Natasha stepped forward, still in her cat-suit from whatever mission she and Clint were on.

"Maybe Andrea should get some rest. Regain lost energy?" Bruce nodded, seconding her idea and then she was being lead upstairs by the red head and taken into her room. After she lay down, Natasha ensured her that she'd be just outside if she needed anything. Andrea knew she was there because she was a threat, a time bomb, a weapon, and there was nothing she could do about it.

-/-/-

It had been an hour since Andrea had retired and Natasha was still sitting on the other side of the door with a thick book written in Russian before her. She was turning another page when she heard a loud commotion coming towards her and she stood hastily, seeing Director Fury walking towards her, with the other following, except for Tony, who was walking backwards in front of the Director.

"You can't just _take _her!"

"It's for her own good."

"It's to cover your own ass!" Tony yelled and Fury stopped dead, glaring down at Tony with his good eye. Natasha ran forward to join the men, taking a battle stance.

"What's going on?" she asked Clint, hoping for an unbiased opinion but before he could give one, he was interrupted by the billionaire inventor.

"Our _Director_," he said the word with malice no insult could have given, "thinks that Andrea is a threat. And therefore he wants to take her and lock her away with all the other scientific mistakes."

"Stark, get in my way and I swear I'll-"

"You'll what?" The two men stood less than an inch from each other, glaring hatefully at each other. The Director bit back a remark before continuing down the corridor hastily, yelling back at the other following behind.

"Thor said when she changes, her mind is Loki's to control. Now not only is that a danger in itself, but it seems that she packs a serious punch, enough to kill any of us if she wants too," he stopped and turned to face them, "or if he asks her too."

By this point, he had reached her door and before anyone could object he opened it and stepped inside, everyone else following him into the room. Lying in the bed was a sleeping Andrea, clearly so exhausted by her excessive magic use that the noise outside hadn't woken her. Tony stood in front of the bed, blocking the path to her with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You're not taking her."

"Stark." The Director stepped forward. "Step aside."

"No," he said, shaking his head quickly. "You won't take her."

"Tony." They all turned to see Andrea sitting up in bed, look at the all with glassy eyes. His arms fell to his sides as she stood up, standing in front of him. "He's right."

She walked around him so that she was standing in front of Director Fury. She held out her wrists and immediately he clamped a tight pair of unusual handcuffs around them. The rest of the Avengers all realised with horror that they were the same ones used to retrain Loki. Andrea smiled sadly, looking down at them. "Submission is the art of giving someone who you are wholly and completely. Shame I don't get a choice."

The last thing she saw was all the faces looking at her with pity before a syringe was pressed to her arm and she felt the ground grow closer as she slipped into a drug induced sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"You can't just lock her up! It's a violation of her rights!" Tony was yelling at the Director as he paced around the room they were all in at SHIELD HQ. Nick Fury had his arms folded across his chest as he stood, glaring at the billionaire as he walked. The other Avengers were all sitting around a table very similar to the one on the heli-carrier.

"She's a threat and we can't afford a security breach."

"She's not a threat, she's a PERSON!" Stark slammed his fists down on the table and everyone stared at him as he breathed in a shuddered gasp of air. Not looking up from his fists, he spoke too calmly. "I know what it's like to be locked away, betrayed by someone you trust and be dancing with the Devil every day." He looked up and glared hatefully at the Director. "And that is something I wouldn't wish on an enemy. Let alone a friend."

The room was silent for a long moment before Bruce spoke, putting a hand on Tony's shoulder. "We need to protect her, Tony."

"Nothing can protect her from Loki. We'd be better off not locking them in together…" He trailed off as the real purpose for her capture ran through his mind and his eyes sharped and his mouth twisted into a line of anger. He stood up to his full height and glared at Fury. "She's bait."

"What?" Steve asked hastily and everyone's attention was turned to the Director as Stark continued.

"He's going to use Andrea as bait to catch Loki."

"Is this true?" Natasha said, standing suddenly. As much as she hated it, she'd grown fond of having another woman around and Andrea seemed nice enough. Therefore she was outraged by the idea that her friend, something she hated to admit, could be used as a trap. The Director turned his head slightly before looking back at them, his arms falling to his sides.

"Loki received no real punishment for what he did here. And Destler is the perfect way to bring him here. Subject him to the law and make him pay for what he did."

"At her expense!" Tony yelled, taking a step forward. "You'd let him kill her if it meant you got Loki."

"We could make a God pay the price, bring justice about at the cost of just one, if that, rather than letting him loose on the city. Isn't that easier, neater?"

"No," Steve said angrily. They were all standing now, glaring at their Director. They began to argue loudly; so loudly that not one of them heard the beep from the computer in the corner that would have alerted them to the bright red message that flashed across the screen:

_Transfusion complete._

-/-/-

Andrea awoke slowly, as if she was coming out of a dream. She just lay there for a moment and rolled onto her side. Only then did she realise that this bed was neither her own nor the one that she occupied in Stark Towers. Her eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright and looked around her. The small, square room she was in was dark, with the only light coming from a dull bulb hanging from the centre of the ceiling. The walls were painted what once might have been white but were now a dull grey spattered with marks of dirt, dust and decay. She was sitting on the room's only furnishing, a small metal bed pressed flush up against the back wall. Directly across from here was a heavy, metal door with a small slot along the centre of it, clearly for passing meals through. In the corner above the door a small red light flashed, indicating the presence of a security camera.

Lying back on her bed, she remembered what had occurred and why she was here. She sighed and shook her head. She couldn't blame them for wanting her locked away; she was a threat. Still, it hurt a little to know that the people she considered her friends could lock her away without any questions. She shook her head again. No, they had tried to stop the Director, but no-one could really stand in his way when he wanted something. Rolling over onto her side, she stared at the rhythmic flashing of the light on the security camera.

She had counted 206 blips when suddenly the light turned off. Curious as to why, she stood up and walked over to the camera, looking up at it from just below where it hung. Then she walked to the door and knocked on it loudly, calling out. "Hello! Is there anyone out there?"

Receiving no reply, she turned and gasped at what she saw. The Asgardian God of Mischief sat on her bed, with his elbows on his knees and his face on his knuckles. His eyes were closed but when he heard her gasp he opened them, their deep green glowing unnaturally in the darkened room. He smiled mischievously and stood up, pacing in front of her.

"So," he started, looking up with a smile. "They've locked you in here with me."

"No, they've locked _me_ in here," Andrea said, taking a step closer in her determination not to show her fear. "You're the one who's forgetting visiting hours."

He chuckled a little at that and stopped pacing, looking directly at her as he continued. "They know nothing can keep me out. You're _bait_, my dear Andrea. They're willing to sacrifice you if they can rid themselves of me."

"No," Andrea whispered, her voice catching in her throat. She swallowed heavily and gathered herself before speaking again. "We're friends. They wouldn't do that to me."

"Wouldn't they?" Loki said, stepping closer to her so they were almost nose to nose and Andrea had to look up to see him. "Do you really think you're that important to them?"

"No," she said honestly. "But I don't think you're important enough."

She felt herself being pushed backwards and her back made contact with the door. Loki was pinning her to the door with his body, his arms on either side of her head. His eyes flashed dangerously and a snarl crossed his lips as he lowered his head a little. "Mind your tongue, child. Or I might force you to."

"I'd like to see you try." He laughed openly at this, his head falling back, before he looked down at her again, his eyes alive with amusement.

"You may be like me now, a Frost Giant with Asgardian blood, but I am stronger, smarter and your superior in every way. What have you to fight against me?"

"This." And before he could defend himself, Andrea sent a beam of pure energy into the God. He fell back, landing on the bed and hitting his head on the wall behind it. He looked down at himself and up at her before shaking his head slightly.

"That's not possible."

"Never underestimate a girl," Andrea said, her hands buzzing with excess energy. Loki stood and she held a hand out in front of her. He glared before raising his hand in the air and muttering a short spell. Then a band of braided leather with silver studs formed in his hand and he danced towards her, avoiding her futile attempts to attack before wrapping it around her wrist. She immediately felt herself grow weaker and she fell to the floor. Her attempts at magic fail and he smiled, walking around her as she glared up at him.

"Perhaps now," he said, pulling her to her feet, "With your magic gone and my blood in your veins, you'll do as I ask."

"Never," Andrea whispered as she heaved in a breath. Loki smirked.

"Not your choice, dearest. Now," he took a step back and looked down at her coldly. "Kneel."

Before Andrea even knew what she was doing, she found herself on her knees before the would-be Asgardian King. She looked up at him and he smiled widely, bending to meet her eye.

"You're mine now."

-/-/-

The Avengers argued for a painfully long time with their Director; Bruce constantly clenching his hands into fists to avoid the Other Guy making an appearance. They curse, yelled and insulted each other and would have done for hours had Agent Hill not walked into the room at that moment.

"Sir?"

"What," the Director said, turning to glare at her. The brunette took a deep breath before giving the news she's been sent to give.

"The camera in her cell's been turned off. We went down to investigate and…" She paused and looked at all their faces, staring at her. "She's gone, sir."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

In the second those words were spoken, their previous argument was forgotten, and every Avenger turned to Agent Hill, staring with the same disbelief. It was the Director who spoke first. "Was there any sign of a struggle?"

"None, sir. She appears to have left with him…willingly."

"But that does not make sense," Thor said, stepping forward and the others turned to look at him, confused by his comment. This time it was Tony who spoke.

"What do you mean it doesn't make sense?" He took a step closer to the God of Thunder. "You said once she was converted he had control over her body."

"I said nothing of the sort," Thor stated plainly and Tony whirled around, his hands in his hair.

"Then what-"

"I said," Thor cut him off, "that in all previous cases there had been full control."

"What do you mean by that?" Fury said, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at the God. Thor angled himself so he was facing not only the Director, but in some way, all his colleagues.

"Andrea seems to be different. She has received not only his blood, but also his magic. A magical being cannot be controlled."

"Unless her magic was supressed," Clint said and they all turned to look at him. He shrugged. "That's how you got Loki back to Asgard wasn't it? You suppressed his magic so he was more compliant. What if he did that to Andrea?"

"That would fit the circumstance," Thor agreed with a nod but the Director raised his hand slightly, motioning for silence.

"Wait, why did she get his magic?"

"I know not how," Thor admitted. "I know only that it occurred."

"Well I want to know how it occurred," Fury said and he motioned to the Russian spy. "Agent Romanov."

"Yes sir?" she said, stepping forward, her arms hanging loosely by her side.

"Find me everything you can about Andrea and her past." She nodded and walked over to the computer in the corner of the room, sitting down and starting her work. As she did so, an argument began between the Director and the billionaire.

"Who cares about her past!?" Tony yelled exasperatedly. He ran a hand through his dishevelled hair as he spoke. "We need to _find_ her!"

The Director glared at him with his one good eye as he answered, "We know exactly where she is. However, we don't know why she's different, which is important if we have to fight her."

"Fight her?" The genius stepped forward a little and glared forcefully at the man in front of him. "If you waste your time here we might be too late to help her."

"I'm in charge," the Director snarled, moving forward so they were almost chest to chest. "And I decide what's important. Is that understood, Stark?"

There was a pregnant pause, in which anger and acute irritation rolled off Tony. They stood glaring at each other for a long time before Natasha interrupted them.

"I've got something on her parents."

"From when?" Fury asked without breaking eye contact.

"1986, but-"

"Not important," Tony snapped back at his former PA, spinning to look at her. "That was years before she was born. Who gives a shit about her parents, we need to _find_ her."

"Stark-" Steve started but he was quickly cut off by the enraged genius.

"DOES NOBODY CARE ABOUT ANDREA AS A LIVING, BREATHING PERSON BUT ME?"

"We all care," the Captain said. "But we can't help her unless-"

"Unless we waste our time on useless details, right?" His exasperated outburst was met with silence. "Unless we count up all the risks, do the math, consult with the experts and stand around discussing it like adults. Is that what you're saying?"

"No but-"

"Her parents," Natasha interrupted forcefully, "Were living in Ukraine at the time."

"So?" Bruce asked, anxious to move the topic along.

"So," Natasha said with a slight smile. "Her father was a nuclear physicist, specialising in nuclear power."

Almost all the Avengers stared in a stunned silence, but Thor and Steve glanced at each other in confusion.

"I do not understand. What is the significance of this?" The rest ignored Thor's question, turning to look at Natasha. Tony was the first to speak out for confirmation. "Was he…?"

Natasha nodded and pulled up a file. They all gathered around the computer. "Meet Doctor Richard Destler, an American researcher at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Facility."

There was a shocked silence, broken by a greatly confused Captain. "I don't understand. What's Chernobyl?"

"The greatest nuclear disaster in history. A nuclear power plant went into meltdown releasing 100 mega Curies of radiation into the surrounding area," Bruce explained, watching Steve's eyes grow wider before turning back to Natasha. "Was her father directly exposed?"

The assassin nodded gravely. "He was one of the few exposed to the near full dose of radiation who survived."

"And her mother?" Clint asked, folding his arms over his chest. Natasha pulled up a new file on the computer.

"Emiline Destler nee. Meletrov. Living in Kiev at the time of the disaster. Evacuated five days after the explosion."

"Were they married at the time?"

"No," Natasha answered. She did a small amount of research before double-taking. She laughed slightly. "They met at the evacuation centre."

"How adorable," Tony muttered bitterly, but they all ignored him as Natasha continued reading.

"One child, Andrea, born 17th August 1987 in New Jersey."

"Why did they come back to America?" Natasha rolled her eyes at the Captain's question.

"To get away from the trauma."

"Why didn't she tell us?" Clint let out a slight laugh.

"She probably didn't know. A lot of the sufferers of traumatic events or disasters like Chernobyl didn't talk about it, especially with their kids. And it's not like she has a Russian name so there's no real cause for investigation on her part."

"Still," Tony started. "Twenty-five years and she never asked about her parents' past."

Well, she didn't have that much time to ask," the Black Widow said and received confused glances from all the Avengers and her Director. She opened two more files and displayed them side by side on the screen. "Richard Destler, died 28th of October 1989 from terminal brain cancer." She turned to the other side of the screen. "Emiline Destler, died 2nd May 2003 after a long battle with leukaemia. Both her parents were dead by the time she was sixteen."

There was a sad silence that seemed to echo around the room as the truth about Andrea sunk in. A few minutes of quiet passed before the computer beeped and Natasha turned to look at it. She let out a slight gasp as she read what she found on the screen. The others turned to look over her shoulder to see what happened. "What?"

"He saved her life," she muttered before explaining. "She wasn't in Manhattan for work. She was here for treatment." She revealed the file to them and dictated what was there as they read over her shoulder. "Andrea Destler, a terminal thyroid cancer patient receiving an experimental treatment to reduce the size of her tumours. There was no real chance of it working."

The stunned silence returned as they all soaked up this new information. The quiet was broken by Tony who muttered more to himself than anyone else, "Like father, like son."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

It was agreed by all the Avengers that Thor should return to Asgard in an effort to locate and bring back Andrea. And so, the day after she was taken, they all gathered to see him off. As they walked away from a populated area into a field, the Director was running through the plan with the Norse God.

"Remember, gather all the information you can without raising the alarm of any other Asgardians. They would all believe that Andrea's there willingly. You return before the week is out, no excuse, with all the information you can gather and, if possible, Andrea."

"I understand," Thor said as he came to a halt in the middle of the field they all now occupied. "Farewell, my friends."

The Avengers all took a step back as Thor began to swing his hammer around before rising to the sky and flying away from them. He let the dark energy gather around him and soon found himself standing outside the walls of Asgard. He stood up to his full height and walked into his Kingdom.

He didn't waste any time and walked straight to Loki's quarters in the hope of finding either he or Andrea there. He was walking through the hallways of the palace when he passed a woman whose face was obscured by a veil and he body by a long cloak. She kept her head down as she walked but he noticed the bracelet on her wrist, he slightly bluish skin and the raven hair that flowed behind her. Without thinking he grabbed her arm and spun her around. He saw her eyes through the thin black fabric covering her and he made to remove it but she grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"By God, I beg you don't! If he knows I have seen you he will kill us both!" And with that, Andrea pulled herself out of his grasp and continued to walk down the corridor before turning the corner and disappearing from his view. Thor looked down at Mjölnir for a moment and his fist tightened on its handle. He could see just how terrified she was and, despite his love for his adopted brother, he was angered that Loki could do such a thing to her. He quickened his pace and all but ran down the hallways to his brother's rooms. On arriving, he threw open the door without any warning.

Inside the room, Loki stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the door. On seeing his brother, a smile twitched at his lips. "I knew they would send you for me."

"Stop all this madness, brother!" Thor boomed as he took another step into the room. "Return her to Midgard and grieve your beloved Sigyn. This need not go any further than this."

Loki let out a cold and empty laugh. "How quaint. You think that I took her because I loved Sigyn and need a reminder of her. Well, this wouldn't be the first time you were wrong."

"Then why?"

"Because I am able too," the God of Mischief answered quickly, a smile twisted on his lips. He walked over to the window, facing it. "Because she got in my way at the most convenient moment and subjugation and submission are easily gained," he looked down at hand, smirking, "given the right circumstance."

"Forget your lust for power and control!" Thor yelled and Loki turned around, his eyes burning green with anger.

"I know nothing else but this!" Thor took a step back as Loki's hands began to crackle with energy. "I know nothing but pain. The fear and anger that comes with living in the shadow of a bumbling fool who doesn't know the difference between truths and lies. I had one reason for jollity but now even she is gone. And so, what is left for me?"

"We can help you Loki," Thor said as he put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "We can make it easier."

"ENOUGH!" Loki threw his brother across the room and walked over to his where he lay, putting a foot on his throat. "I have no need or want for your sympathy. I have taken one opposed to many and you beg for her yet if I took all you beg for me. What twisted reasoning you have found with these _Midgardians_." The last word was spat. "Andrea is mine to control and own. It would do you well to remember that. And if you take her from me, the next human _pet_ I take," he leant in closer, "will be Jane."

At this, Thor's whole body hummed with rage and he threw himself at Loki but found him no longer there, instead he stood at the opposite end of the room. Thor ran toward him but Loki easily danced out of the way. It was then that Thor grabbed him and pinned him to the wall, his hands gripping his shoulders. "Speak in such a way of Jane again and we won't be brothers anymore, instead we shall be enemies."

"You think I fear you?" Loki smiled, licking his teeth. Thor was about to answer when the door opened and Andrea entered. She then noticed what was occurring and made to leave but found another Loki blocking the door. Thor let go of his brother and turned to face the veiled woman. Loki stood up straight and walked so he stood in front of his prisoner. He snapped suddenly, "remove your veil and cloak."

Not a second passed before Andrea had pulled the veil from her face and the cloak from her body and threw them down onto the bed. In that second, Thor saw what had become of her. She was dressed now in long, strait, dark green dress that fell to the floor with a long slit up the side to the top of her left calf. She had a black, leather corset with gold metal patterns tied tightly around her waist that stopped just below her bust. The dresses neckline fell in a deep V and the straps that sat on her shoulders fell in a cascade of deep green silk into a sort of cape that pooled behind her and followed as she walked. He hair hung as it would have normally but now there were golden threads with green gems on the ends of them weaved among her curls that were pinned into her hair. Her lips had been painted a blood red and her eyes were shrouded in makeup which only made her irises shine brighter. She looked more beautiful and graceful than he had ever seen her, but the fear in her eyes said that she wished she wasn't.

"Tell me Andrea," Loki asked as he walked behind her and spoke in her ear, "do you want to go back to Midgard?"

She stood up a little straighter and turned to look at her kidnapper. "No, my Prince. I'm happy here in Asgard."

The smile she had clearly force herself to give was met with a nod from Loki as he turned to his brother. "You see, brother mine. She wants to remain here."

Thor suspected magic, but knew that speaking of such would put Andrea in danger. Instead he nodded slightly. "I see."

Andrea's eyes widened and she made as though she was going to speak but her mouth wouldn't open. She stood there silently as Loki smiled and spoke, "Excellent. Then you will join us for our evening meal. Return here at half past the sixth hour."

Before he could respond he was all but thrown out of the room by his younger brother. He dreaded the fate that awaited Andrea and know how scared she must be. Therefore, he returned to his room and waited until he could return again.

-/-/-

At six-thirty exactly, Thor knocked on the door to Loki's quarters. It was opened immediately by Andrea who was dressed as she had been before. She smiled shyly at him and let him into the room. She shut the door behind him before turning to the older of the brothers. "Loki won't be a moment, then we can go."

Just as she finished, Loki emerged from the adjoining room and smiled slyly at his brother. "Good, you're here. Shall we go?"

"Indeed," Thor responded as Loki led the three of them out of the room. The walked in silence until they reached the dining hall which was deserted. The table was laid with a modest amount of food and they all took their places; Loki and Andrea beside each other and Thor across from them. Loki nodded to his prisoner and she began to pour them all wine. As she did so, the God of Mischief spoke to his brother. "When will you be returning to Midgard?"

Thor watched and Andrea carefully placed Loki's glass in front of him, turning it slightly. He discounted this as he answered his brother's question. "What reason do you have for believing I will return?"

The Sorcerer laughed loudly and grinned as he spoke. "Because you were sent here to watch me, and therefore you will have to report back. So I ask again," he leant forward and put his elbows on the table, folding his hands under his chin, "when are you returning to Midgard?"

"Tomorrow," Thor answered, thinking on his feet. Loki looked like he was about to ask another question when Andrea spoke.

"Is this wine alright?" She placed the cup in front of him and he nodded. She bowed slightly before returning to her seat and pouring her own glass. It hurt him to see her a shadow of the person she once was.

Time passed slowly as Loki's hospitality grew more and more frightening. His civility toward his brother made the God of Thunder feel manipulated but he knew there was little he could do to stop it. They all ate and drank, the brothers talking and Andrea saying nothing except to offer a dish or answer a direct question but even then her voice was timid and meek. All in all, the meal was unsettling.

It was nine o'clock when Thor stood to leave. Loki nodded and motioned that he leave but for the first time, Andrea spoke to him with force. "Please finish your wine. It would be a shame to waste it."

"Quite," he agreed and he raised the glass to his lips. "To your health."

As he drained the glass, he noticed writing on its base as the liquid slipped away. He drained his glass, nodded his farewells and left, his mind entirely focused on the two words Andrea had scrawled hastily on the bottom of his glass.

_HELP ME_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

As soon as Thor left, Loki grabbed Andrea by the throat and pressed her against the wall. Andrea tried to loosen is hands on her throat as she struggled to breathe. With his other hand, Loki picked up Thor's cup and held it front of her face.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" He hissed in her ear before throwing her to the ground. Andrea lay there spluttering as he crouched down beside her, cocking his head towards her. "Well?"

When she didn't respond he stood up and kicked her in the stomach, his anger getting the better of him. "ANSWER ME!"

"I didn't care if you notice," Andrea gasped, curling into a ball. "As long as he saw as well."

Loki threw the cup down and looked down at his prisoner, groaning in pain. He hissed a curse in a language she didn't recognise before pulling her to her feet, pinning her to the wall with his body, his hands on either side of her head. Andrea sucked in a breath and tried not to let him see how terrified she really was.

"You are mine to control and you obey without the ability to contradict," he said, his face coming closer to hers. "But now, even though I instructed you explicitly not to tell anyone why you're here, who you are or to help you, you still managed." At this point he slapped her across the face and she let out a short shriek. However, Loki didn't care about her pain as he pinned her there. "How?"

Andrea turned her head and spat a mouthful of deep blue blood onto the tiled floor. She turned back to him and, with all the courage she had left, she answered him. "Telling implies speaking. And I never spoke a word."

Loki's anger was something that many would travel to the edge of the Nine Realms to avoid, but his rage was all consuming and nowhere was far enough away from him. Andrea watched as his eyes narrowed dangerously and his breathing started to grow heavier. She felt his hands form fists on either side of her head and, before she could think about escaping, he had grabbed her by the hair. He threw her to the floor and she let out a yell of pain. Before she could do anything else, he crushed her arm in a bruising grip and pulled her to her feet before dragging her through the hallways of the kingdom.

He seemed oblivious to her screams as he dragged her down into the bowels of the city, pulling through ancient tunnels so dark that she could see nothing but blackness. He pulled her further and further along with him, her yells bouncing off the walls and echoing around them. Deeper and deeper they plunged until Andrea saw a light in the distance. They continued towards it and she soon saw that it was in fact a dully-lit room they were approaching. Loki dragged her towards it and on reaching the door he pulled it open and threw her inside, following her in.

Looking around, Andrea saw that it seemed to be a sort of prison she was standing in. The walls were all a damp stone with water running slowly down them in some places. There was no roof as such, merely the top of the cavern that was the same as each of the walls, connecting in a curve. There was a large rock near her that she couldn't see behind but knew it must also be hollow. Before she could think anymore Loki grabbed her again with the same crushing force and dragged around the rock she was staring at. It was then. In horror, she realised what he had planned for her.

A stone slab lay flat on the ground but rose about a foot off the ground. There were metal straps all over it designed to secure a person's ankles, waist, chest, wrists, neck and head without any give in them. If she had any doubt to the horror after seeing this, all she had to do was look above her, where the Snake of Skaði lay coiled with its fangs bared, ready to drip it's poison onto the unfortunate soul who lay beneath it. It was hear that Loki was pushing her.

"You defy me and insult me!" Loki yelled as he pushed her down, securing her wrists above her head and to the block. She screamed and kicked and fought with all that she had but Andrea was no match for him and slowly he started to secure the other ties. "You have betrayed me and my hospitality. Now, you have to pay for your crimes."

"Please!" Andrea screamed, tears falling down her face. He placed a bowl on her head seconds before the first drop fell, catching it. Still, Andrea begged, "I swear to you I'll obey! No loopholes! Have mercy, I beg you! PLEASE!"

"Your pleas fall upon death ears, Andrea," Loki stated coldly as her tightened the final tie around her waist. She felt another slow drop fall into the bowl. Loki smirked at it. "When I lay here, Sigyn held a bowl above my head to save me from the poison. You shan't have that kindness."

And without hesitation he took the bowl from over her head and Andrea stared up in horror at the snake above her. Its red eyes glowed and she watched another drop of acid form on its fangs. She yelled at her captor who had turned his back on her.

"Loki!" She watched him tense as she yelled his name. "Please, stop this! PLEASE!"

Tears streamed down her face as she stared up at the snake, her body tensed in anticipation. She shot Loki a pleading glance but he didn't see it, his back still to her. Looking back at the snake above her, she saw the drop on its teeth, threatening to fall at any moment. She shuddered out another sob before whispering, "Loki, help me."

He turned to look at her just as the drop of acid made contact with her forehead and she let out a scream of such agony that the very walls shook with the sound. Every muscle in her body contracted as she shrieked. The complete agony that shot through her made her long for the pain the transformation had given her. As the acid slowly died away, she shuddered out a sob and looked up at the snake above her, the next drop already on its fangs. She cried as she waited for the pain to hit, closing her eyes. She waited but the next sound she heart was the drop hitting the bowl. Opening her eyes she saw Loki holding the bowl over her head, his face a complete mask.

As soon as the drop fell, he put the bowl down beside her and undid the clasp holding her head, wrists, neck waist and chest. Immediately she sat up, out of the way of the acid falling from above her head. She looked down as Loki untied her ankles, her tears still rolling down her cheeks. When her legs were finally free, he helped her to her feet and she collapsed into his chest, not caring that it was him who tied her there in the first place, and she cried.

Loki tentatively wrapped his arms around her small frame as she shuddered out another sob. He didn't say a word, instead softly rubbing lines up and down her back until she stopped crying. When she did, she looked up at him with tear stained eyes, her face twisted into a mask of confusion as she asked one question.

"Why?" It was obvious that she was asking why she was released so suddenly. Loki put his hands on her shoulders and looked down at her with glassy eyes.

"Because you look like her," Loki said honestly. Andrea felt her heart ache for him, knowing that everything he was doing was out of pain. Loki sucked in a breath. "And I couldn't watch her…you go through what she did. I don't want to think about her here. Tied down with that infernal drip on her know that I'm the reason she's-"

He stopped suddenly, unable to say what had been torturing him far worse than the snake since the day she died. Slowly, Loki raised his hand and brushed his fingertips along Andrea forehead, right where the acid had fallen onto her – and onto Sigyn. He lowered his head slightly as a tear rolled down his cheek. Andrea, on seeing this, quickly wiped it away and he looked at her. She managed a weak smile. Loki took a step back from her and walked to the door whilst she remained motionless. He opened it and turned to her, giving his simple order.

"Come. Follow." Before Andrea could think, she was following Loki back through the labyrinth below the alien city. When it got far too dark to see, Loki took her hand, gentler this time but still enough to be firm, and guided her through the maze. After a long walk they returned and stepped out into the city. It was now almost midnight as Loki led them both back to his chambers. Once inside, he turned to her again and spoke.

"Thor will return to Midgard tomorrow. After he tells them of your message – and yes I am still very angry about that – there is no doubt in my mind that he will lead the _Avengers_ here. When they come, and they will, they will come only for you. Thusly, you cannot be here."

"Then where will I be?" Andrea probed and he smirked a little.

"Where we were today. Calm yourself, not in that _vile room_," he spat those two words, "in the labyrinth. I know every inch of it and there is no chance of any of them discovering you down there."

"But if they don't find me," Andrea said, stepping forward. "They won't leave."

Loki let out a loud and hearty laugh. "You think that you are so important to them that they would risk spending their lives here looking for you?"

"No," she said and took another step forward so they were now almost nose to nose. "I think that they will find me; with or without your help."

"What are you implying," the God growled angrily.

"That they may not know every inch of the labyrinth, but they will know the way to the snake. And they will know how you restrain you."

Loki's face contorted in anger and he hissed back at her, "Remember that you are mine to control, dear Andrea." He gripped her chin in his hand and she glared at him. "In any way I choose. Don't make me use my privilege unnecessarily."

"You don't scare me," Andrea spat with as much courage as she had. He let out a loud laugh before letting go of her completely. She made no move to back away and he grinned.

"I may not scare you, Miss Destler, but you know what I can do?" He leant forward and whispered in her ear five words that chilled her to the bone, "break you in every way."

He stepped back again and walked over to the bed, lying down on it. He patted the area beside him and, although not a direct order, Andrea still felt the pull to do as he asked. She walked over and lay down beside him, rolling onto her side to look at him. "I despise you."

"Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. Unfortunately for you, you can control neither." Her head tried to wrap around what his cryptic words had meant when he gave an order she couldn't refuse. "Sleep."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Stark Towers – or the Avengers HQ – was rather quiet. Tony and Bruce were down in the labs, working on another one of their experiments and Natasha a Clint were sparring in the gym with Steve there just to pass the time. It therefore came as a shock to them when they all first heard the thunder outside. Without thinking, they all stopped their activities and made their way to the living floor just in time to see the Norse God appear.

"Friends!" Thor boomed, walking towards them. "Loki has taken complete control of Andrea. She is powerless against his will and she has begged us to help her!"

Although they all knew this news was inevitable, it still struck a chord with each of them, silencing them momentarily. It was Natasha who returned first to reality. "We need to tell the Director."

"Already done, Agent Romanov," JARVIS said over them. Steve, still not used to the technology, continued to look around for the source of the voice but, of course, found none. "Director Fury has asked me to inform you that he is on his way."

Clint nodded in response and they all turned their attention back to Thor, anxious to hear news of their captured friend. They all sat down and Steve asked the first question. "How is she?"

"I know not," Thor answer dejectedly. "For Loki has been careful with his words and his orders. She cannot reveal to me any of her sufferings."

"Why not?" Clint asked, leaning forward.

"He has given her an order I imagine not to speak of her sorrows."

"That I know," he said, raising a hand before clarifying. "What I meant was, why does he care if she tells you she's suffering. If he ordered her not to leave, she can't; why all this extra effort to avoid anyone knowing?"

Thor let out a sigh. "I know not of your Midgardian laws, but on Asgard, it is a crime to take someone unwillingly; especially to force them into a circumstance they wish not to be in. Sigyn's sacrifice has rid him of all his pervious misdemeanours, and thusly, he doesn't wish to be caught disobeying the All-father as they will take any chance offered to punish him."

There was a grumble of understanding around the room with slight nods of acknowledgement before Tony's head snapped up and he turned to Thor quickly. "If Loki has stopped her from saying she's suffering, how could she ask for help? I thought Shakespeare might have thought about that obvious little idea."

"He did. But it would appear Andrea found a way around his orders." They all looked at him in confusion and he smiled a little. "I believe he gave her and order not to ask anyone for help…_verbally_. She wrote her message on the bottom of my cup."

"Good old Andrea," Tony muttered before Bruce interjected.

"Did Loki notice?" Thor shook his head.

"I think not but I cannot be certain of this. Despite his flaws, he has never lacked in observation."

It was then, before any more questions could be asked, that Director Fury walked into the room, followed by Agent Hill. All attention turned to them and they stood, Fury wasting no time in assessing the problem. "What's the situation?"

"Sir, it would appear that Loki's in control of Andrea's actions and words but she managed to get a message to Thor, asking for help," Natasha summarised stepping forward a little. The Director nodded slightly and turned to Agent Hill, talking quietly for a moment before turning his attention back to them. He stood up a little straighter and addressed Thor directly.

"Could you take a person to Asgard?" Thor nodded. "Then that's what you'll do."

"Wait, what!?" Tony said, looking around him. "We can't just go to Asgard!"

"You can and you will," Fury responded coolly. "Andrea is a prisoner of war. It's our duty to bring her home before any harm comes to her. And we must keep the peace."

"How so, sir?" Steve questioned.

"A little over a month ago, Earth was invaded. You all fought against it and, thankfully, you won. However, you couldn't say that we were in any way prepared for the attack. Loki's return and his taking Andrea makes me feel as though he's daring us to fight; daring us to declare war on a civilisation far more advanced than us. In a war against another world, we wouldn't stand a chance. That is why you must go and bring Andrea back."

"And Loki?" Clint questioned. "Would anyone have an objection to me putting an arrow through his head?"

"Watch your tongue, Barton!" Thor growled and the Director raised a hand to stop them.

"Retain Andrea peacefully. Then Loki will be subjected to the full force of the Asgardian law." They all nodded in silent agreement before Fury turned back to Thor. "Could you take all five?"

"With the assistance of the man of iron's suit, yes."

"Stark?"

"On it," Tony said, disappearing down into his lab with Bruce close on his heels. The others who remained were given a brief over view of their mission, with the explicit and repeated instruction not to fight. The fear of war that would come should they do so was a terrifying thought. Finally, they were told to leave as soon as possible which Tony, through the buildings PA system, said would be late that night. They agreed on this and The Director and Agent Hill left.

-/-/-

The rest of the day was spent in quiet preparation as everyone readied themselves for what they knew would be one of their hardest missions. Hours passed before Steve and Natasha's sparring session was cut short by the invasion of the billionaire inventor. Clint and Thor, who had been sitting in the corner watching, came over and joined then as Tony spoke.

"We can leave in an hour. You all ready?" There was a silent nod from everyone and the man of iron mirrored this as he walked away. "Then let's go."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Thor led the Avengers through the gates of Asgard. They all walked briskly towards the Throne Room, not stopping to take in any of the sights. As they approached a large, ornate set of double doors, Thor turned to his friends and motioned for them to stay where they were. There was a silent agreement as he turned around. The Norse God burst through the doors to find the All-Father sitting and looking at him in great surprise. He walked towards him until he was a few feet away before kneeling. His voice boomed as he spoke.

"Father! Loki brought with him to Asgard a young maiden who goes by Andrea. He converted her against her will and is keeping her as a prisoner here. I, and my friends from Midgard, have come to return her to Earth." There was a long silence through which Thor's words seemed to echo in everyone's heads. This was until Odin stood and looked down at his son, his eyes angry.

"You mean to say that Loki has defied us again! That he has once again committed an act that defies our laws!?" Thor said nothing, knowing his father wasn't really asking a question. Odin paced in front of him, his head hanging and his hands clasped into fists beside him. He gritted his teeth and muttered almost silently to himself before stopping suddenly and turning to his eldest son. "Find the girl and take her back to Midgard."

The All-Father began to walk out of the room but Thor stood and called after him. "What of Loki?"

Odin stopped, but didn't turn around. He spoke firmly but quietly as he responded, "Loki is to be subjected to my law."

And with that, he left. Thor shook the thought of the horrors that now awaited Loki out of his head and left the room swiftly; he found all the Avengers standing just where he had left them by the door. The blonde took a breath before speaking. "Father has given us permission to find and return Andrea to Midgard."

"And Loki?" Natasha said, stepping forward with her arms folded across her chest. Thor let out a long sigh before answering.

"Loki is to be given to Asgardian law."

"Fat lot of good that did last time," Tony said, not trying to hide his distasted for it. He received glares from all of them but shrugged them off immediately. Thor, knowing the area better than the others, led them around Asgard as they searched for Andrea.

-/-/-

Loki strode the corridors of Asgard arrogantly, a complacent smile on his face. Andrea was safely hidden away and not even the Avengers, he was painfully aware of their presence, would find her in that labyrinth without assistance. He walked slowly towards his chambers, not paying any real attention to where he was going or who he was passing. Only too late did he realise he should have been.

Before he could protect himself, he was surrounded by three large men and sucker-punched in the stomach. He doubled over in pain for a moment before gathering himself and making to use his magic to defend himself but was cut short by another blow. He grunted and fell to his knees in pain. One of these men pulled his hands behind his back and clamped them together with something heavy and metallic. Loki felt his magic wither away and hung his head low. He then felt himself being pulled to his feet and dragged along the corridors he had walked along so arrogantly just moments ago.

-/-/-

The Avengers walked down the corridors, aimlessly looking for the woman they had come to rescue. However, without any idea of where she or her captor might be, it was becoming more and more difficult. Of course, Tony was the first to express this. "Seriously, how many places can you hide a LIVING PERSON without anyone knowing?"

"More that you think actually," Steve chimed in as they continued. "During the war people would hide in hundreds of different places."

Tony let out an exasperated sigh. "I meant against their will, old man."

"Well technically it's not against her will, now is it?" Steve said, stopping to turn and look at the genius. "Because he controls her. If it was against her will the only place he could keep her is a prison."

Thor stopped suddenly and turned to look at all of them, his brow furrowed in confusion and realisation. "The labyrinth…"

"What's that?" Clint said. The Avengers all looked at the Norse God as he explained.

"Beneath the city, there is a large labyrinth of corridors designed to be a prison. Deep within is a chamber in which the Snake of Skaði lies. The maze was designed to trap anyone who tried to escape from the chamber. Loki spent a lot of his childhood memorising every corridor. No-one knows it better than him."

"Let's go," Natasha said and Thor took off towards the entrance with the others following in his wake. It took them only a few minutes to reach the door. Thor pulled it aside and they were all surprised by what they saw.

On the other side of the door, daze by the light, stood Andrea. She blinked a few times before realising what she was seeing and she grinned widely. She immediately ran at Thor and hugged him, kissing him on the cheek. She then did the same for each of them, except Natasha with whom she skipped the kiss. Looking her up and down, they saw that she was definitely a little worse for wear. She had a bruise coming up on her cheek, her hair was a mess and she had a serious of cuts and slices along both her arms. However, they were all surprised to find that she had no bracelet on her wrist.

"I knew you'd come for me eventually." Andrea smiled widely and the other Avengers reciprocated as they turned to walk away. Bruce was the first to ask the question that they were all bursting to come out with.

"What's happened to you?" Andrea looked down at herself for a moment before smiling at him again.

"Nothing nearly as bad as it looks, I assure you."

"Did Loki do this to you?" She stopped and looked at Tony when he said this. She could see the concern in his dark eyes and she pressed a hand to his uncovered cheek, silently reassuring him.

"A lot of this I did to myself. Not intentionally but it's very dark down there in the labyrinth and a lot of the walls are quite jagged. Without being able to see where I'm going…" She stopped to run a hand along the many cuts on her arms. "I'm clumsy anyway."

"Did my brother not order you to not escape?" Thor questioned. Andrea let out a laugh and pulled the bracelet he had wrapped around her wrist out of some folds in her dress. She showed it to them and they all looked at her, bug-eyed. "How did you manage to get that off?"

"Magic," she answered with a laugh and they all looked at her quizzically. She sighed before replacing it in the folds of her dress and explaining. "It's true that this bracelet supresses my magic and therefore I'm powerless to his will, but he never told me not to remove the bracelet explicitly."

"He shouldn't have needed to," Thor answered. "These are designed to be irremovable without the magic of the person who put it on."

"But that is exactly what I had," she answered with a smirk. "Yes, my magic was supressed but his magic still radiated around the bracelet. I found that if I concentrated all my energy on it, I could absorb the residual magic and use it free myself from it and, thusly, from him."

She looked very proud of herself for this and the reaction they gave her seemed to second this. They all smiled at her, although some for different reasons. Although a few were genuinely proud of her for getting free of the Frost Giant turned Asgardian who kidnapped her, Clint was especially glad that she had beaten Loki at his own game. Either way, there was a general jollity as they walked. Then Thor looked towards the sky and turned to his friends. "We must hurry. The All-Father will not allow us to travel after dark."

"The All-Father?" Andrea stopped in her tracks and they all turned back to look at her. She was white as a sheet. "Did you tell him that Loki brought me here; against my will."

"Yes," Thor answered quickly and Andrea pressed herself to the wall, a look of pure horror crossing her face as she slid down it. Immediately everyone was worried. Bruce was the first to voice this.

"Andrea? What's wrong?"

"He knows. If he knows, then there's no hope. None." She mumbled these so quickly and quietly that they were barely caught. She was still for a moment, so still that they were worried she might be having some sort of fit, before she stood and pushed Bruce away in the process. She turned to Thor with eyes glazed over in steely purpose. "Where is the All-Father?"

"He went to find Loki," Thor said and before any of them were fully aware of what was happening, Andrea was running down the corridors they had just come from. Tony yelled after her, "Andrea? Where are you going?"

She stopped and turned back to them. "If Odin knows that I was brought here against my will, then Loki will be punished."

"Yes, but that's not our problem," Tony answered, grabbing her arm. She swatted it away quickly.

"You're not listening! They have been looking for any chance, any mistake of Loki's, to make him pay for his crimes. He was never truly forgiven, no matter Sigyn's sacrifice." She stopped and took a deep breath, calming herself. "They will put him once again below that vile creature. But this time it will be far worse."

Steve spoke next. "What do you mean worse?"

"Because he will now be convicted of being a true lie-smith." She turned to look at Thor who had visibly shrunk away. She stood before him and he looked into her eyes, so full of purpose. Now she spoke to him alone. "Thor, you know the punishment for such an accusation. Would you wish such a thing on him; especially as he is then to be thrown beneath the Snake of Skaði?"

"It is the price he must pay for his crimes..." Thor muttered and Andrea's face fell into a mask of hatred and fury.

"Is this what all of you believe?" She looked at the sea of faces that mirrored Thor's, a look of confusion, guilt and resolution. Andrea let out a hollow laugh. "You believe that he is nought but a monster who deserves the worst punishment the mind could conjure up. If this is so, then you are not the heroes that I believed you to be."

And with that she was gone, leaving a cloud of deep green smoke behind her as she disappeared. They all turned to Thor with the same confusion that Natasha voiced. "What is the punishment for lie-smithery?"

He told them all and not one of them could believe what they had heard.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Loki was dragged into the throne room and deposited unceremoniously onto the floor before Odin and Frigga. He looked up to meet his adoptive father's eyes with distaste. He saw the anger there and could hold back a short, dry laugh. This did nothing to help him. Odin stood, walking forward a little but not close enough to Loki for him to attack. He cleared his throat before beginning.

"Loki Odinson-"

"Laufeyson," Loki corrected dryly and Frigga stifled a cry, pressing a hand to her mouth. Loki did nothing, his eyes intently focused on the man who now determined his fate.

"Loki _Laufeyson_," the All-Father corrected. "You have kidnapped a young woman from Midgard, you have changed her blood, you have manipulated and used her and you have lied to all of Asgard. Have you anything to say in your defence?"

"You're pathetic." Odin recoiled a little at this and Loki stood up, stretching himself to his full height and looked down on the shorter King. "I've been free for weeks but you have made no move to hurt me. Why is this? Because you let dear, innocent Sigyn take my place and therefore my sins were pardoned. Thusly, you couldn't _legitimately_ accuse me of anything. Ah, there's that word. Legitimate. I'm the illegitimate everything; the illegitimate son, the illegitimate king and heir, the illegitimate Asgardian and the illegitimate husband. Why not complete the pattern and make my whole life a lie? No. Instead you torture me with my freedom. Wait for me to make a mistake so you can use the cruelty you have save up for centuries on the man you raised to be a monster."

"ENOUGH!" Odin yelled and the room fell silent. The All-Father stalked forward towards Loki so he was a few feet away. "I treated you equally and fairly. I raised you myself rather than giving you away to some old wench wishing to please her King. For all this, you insult me. You disobey every law and every moral ever set forth on Asgard and so," he snapped his fingers and two men who had been standing in the corner until that moment stepped forward. "You must pay for your crimes."

He stepped back and the two men approached him. Now that they were closer, Loki saw that one of them held a metal thread and needle in his hand and he immediately understood. He made no move to escape, instead smirking slightly. "You really believe you can silence me with this?"

"Yes," Odin answered, sitting back on his throne. "And I can see through your vague façade. You know it can too."

At this moment, as the men were upon him and one of them held him down, he allowed the true fear he had tried so hard to hide to surface and he yelled and screamed and thrashed but they were too strong for him without his magic. Odin watched as the needle pierced the skin above Loki's lip and guarded his wife's eyes from the sight. However, no-one on Asgard could be guarded from those terrified screams.

-/-/-

Andrea reappeared just outside the entrance to the labyrinth. She was convinced that Odin would have taken Loki down there and tied him to that slab of stone beneath the Snake of Skaði. She pulled open the door with a great heave and was about to venture down it when she heard it. The most horrified and pained screamed pierced the air around her and she wanted to cry on hearing it. She turned and knew immediately it was Loki, but the yell didn't come from the chamber buried deep in the maze, but instead from the throne room. She ran and followed the yells that never for a moment ceased to the door of the Throne Room which two large men walked out of, both covered in a significant amount of blood. They saw her and stood by the door defensively. Andrea now heard nothing from the other side of the door but Odin's talking, but it was too muffled by the heavy wood for her to understand it.

She looked at the guards for a moment before concentrating her energies and disappearing in a cloud of dark green smoke. She then reappeared on the other side of the door, unnoticed by the occupants. The sight before her was one of horror. Loki lay on his side, his knees pulled up to his chest with his hands cuffed behind his back. She couldn't see his face but she knew what it would be if she could. Odin stood in front of him and Frigga remained in her chair, so pale you could almost believe she was carved from marble. With her fears recognised, she ran forward and threw herself before the King, kneeling at his feet.

"Mercy, please!" Andrea said, not looking up. "Please have mercy on him!"

Odin ignored her and looked towards his adoptive son. "Another spell place upon her to pity you? Is no depravity to low?"

"There is no spell," Andrea said, pulling the bracelet from her dress and handing it to the King. Loki looked at it in amazement. "I'm free in my own mind and body and I wish for you to have mercy upon him."

Odin looked down at the bracelet in confusion before realisation dawned on him and looked Andrea in the eye, handing the bracelet back. She was the spitting image of Sigyn but there was something in her eyes, a determination and power, which Sigyn had never possessed. None the less, the All-Father was adamant on his ruling. "Despite your freedom, Lady Andrea, Loki is still guilty of various crimes for which he must be punished."

"And what would be your punishment?" Andrea said, pulling herself to her feet. Odin's eye's hardened into those of a ruthless King.

"As they were before. 500 years beneath the Snake of Skaði." Andrea heard a muffled gasp behind her and for the first time she turned to face Loki. The sight of him was far worse that she had imagined. He was bleeding from holes around his mouth and leaking blood from the corner of his mouth. Large, metal stitches held his mouth together and the word _LIAR_ had been carved along his top right bicep. His deep green eyes held something unfamiliar for her to see in him. She couldn't hold back the tears when she recognised the fear that shone back at her. She turned back to the King and shook her head.

"No."

"What did you say?" The room echoed with the promise of anger but Andrea stood her ground as she looked back at the broken Loki, whose eyes now shone with confusion as well as fear.

"I said no." Gaining strength, she took a step forward. She was Loki's last line of defence, and she would help him. "I would not tie my worst enemy down beneath that infernal drip, let alone the man who saved my life." Loki's confusion grew but she continued. "I beg you have mercy upon him!"

"His punishment has been decided!" Odin boomed and Andrea recoiled a little. "Not by me, but by him in his actions. Who am I to deny him what he has chosen?"

"Then you are as much of a monster as you declare him to be!" Andrea's breathing was ragged and her fists curled at her sides. She closed her eyes and took a breath before speaking again. "You say that he has chosen his fate through what he has done, is that correct?"

The only response she got was a nod from the All-Father so she continued. "And am I correct in believing this to be similar to that of a judicial proceeding?" Another nod. "In that case, I drop all charges against him."

"What!" This exclamation came not from Odin, but from Tony Stark who stood, with the rest of the Avengers, just inside the door. Everyone whirled around to see them as they strode forward. Tony walked up and grabbed Andrea by the shoulders, ignoring Loki. "Andrea, snap out of this. Whatever he's said, it's not real."

"I am not under his spell!" She yelled, pushing his hands off her shoulders and turning back to the All-Father. "Please, I beg you! I drop all charges against him and he is not sent beneath that snake again."

"His fate is decided." The bluntness with which this blow was delivered shocked Andrea and she stood there, silenced for a moment before turning to look at Loki. She saw the sadness and fear in his eyes and, for the first time in her life, she understood the meaning of true, blinding terror; the feeling that there was no way out and you had to give up. It was as she saw this she felt all the emotions she had been told to hide for the past few days wash over her and she let out a strangled sob. Her eyes met Loki's and she saw that he too was crying, if only slightly. She looked up at the Avengers and then her eyes caught Thor's, and an idea struck her.

Andrea ran over to Thor and threw herself at his feet; she knelt before him and wept. "Please! Please! You are the would-be King. You can change his sentence! I beg you! For your brother! For me! For anyone, please! Do not subject him to all this horror again!"

Thor looked down at the woman weeping at his feet and all he felt was pity. He looked over at his brother who would not face him and new that he could not abandon him again. The Norse God leant down and pulled Andrea to her feet, looking her in the eye as he spoke. "Then, as the victim of all the accused crimes, what would be your punishment for him?"

Andrea turned away from Thor and walked over to Loki. She knelt down beside him and pulled him to his feet slowly. She pressed a hand to his bloodied face and caught the tear that fell down his cheek, whether from pain or fear she didn't know, but he cried none the less. She turned her head to look at Thor as she answered. "Exile. To Midgard."

There was an audible gasp and Andrea shrunk a little, but not enough to show how weak she really felt. Thor looked as though he were about to speak but his father cut him off, addressing Andrea first. "What you suggest is not a punishment. It's a freedom."

"Not for him," she snapped back, looking at Loki for a second before continuing. "Imagine yourself to be him, guilty of all the crimes he has committed. Now tell me, would it not be a torment to be sent away from your kingdom, and live among those you have always felt beneath you?" She turned to the Avengers as she said this before looking back to Odin. "And to be doomed to spend eternity with a woman who looks just like your wife, who died in your place, and be controlled by she you tried to control? Would that not be torture enough for a man as proud and strong as he?"

"You cannot control him," Thor said and Andrea spun to look at him. "No-one has ever been able too."

"But I have his blood! Release him." She whispered the words so intensely that they echoed off the walls. Odin nodded hesitantly and the cuffs were removed from Loki's hands. However, before he could escape, Andrea turned back to him and twisted the bracelet around his wrist, supressing his magic again. She looked up at her previous captors face as she spoke to him directly. "You gave me your blood; but you also gave me your magic. Your entire ability to control me relied on you having magic and us sharing blood. Therefore, it should work both ways."

Loki's eyes were now cold and hard as Andrea spun to address the Avengers and Odin who was now standing near them. "You want proof that I can control him? Then I will give the one order that he would never obey. The one command that even if I was under his spell he would not give me permission to use on him. Loki Laufeyson," she turned to look at him and his eyes bored into hers. She swallowed her fear and regret and gave the one order that he would never obey if it were his choice. "Kneel."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

The moment Loki fell to his knees before Andrea there was a sharp intake of breath from everyone in the room, including Andrea. Loki didn't look up at her, instead staring at his knees in shame, as if he hated them for disobeying him. However, there was nothing that he could do. Andrea slowly pulled him to his feet again and they both looked at Odin, waiting for the final judgement. There was a long, silent pause before the All-Father spoke.

"No." The word hit everyone like a sharp gust of icy wind and there was a cold silence. Odin continued, "What you offer as his punishment is nothing compared to what he has done. He will again take his place beneath the Snake of Skaði and remain there for half the millennia."

Two guards emerged from the shadows and pushed Andrea aside, knocking her to the ground. The grabbed Loki and started to drag him out of the room and she could have sworn she heard Loki try to scream. Without thinking, she closed her eyes, focused all her energy in her hands and brought them together in a prayer position. She remained like that for a second before her eyes opened and they all saw her iris's glowing deep green. In a moment she forced out her hand and a bolt of energy passed from her into the door, making it impossible to open without being electrocuted. The two guards hesitated before turning around and bringing Loki back, but never once loosening their hold on him. Andrea turned back to the King but now she was done with her niceties. She bowed slightly before the King but hardly enough to be seen.

"You are quick to condemn your son; to send him back beneath the snake. I wonder, have you ever been beneath it? Felt the pain you will bring him?"

"Of course I have not!" Odin boomed, irritation rising in his voice. "The Snake of Skaði is reserved for the most unforgivable of criminals. I have never done anything to warrant such treatment."

"And neither have I!" Andrea interjected quickly. She shot a glance at Loki, whose eyes were confused and his lips twisted into a frown as much as they could with the stitches. "Yet I have been strapped to that rock. I have felt the poison drip onto my forehead and I promise you that if you subject him to such treatment than you are nothing but a coward and far more deserving of the punishment than he!"

There was a stunned silence around the room. Andrea realised that she was crying but made no attempt to rectify this. She let the tears fall freely and allowed the room to see just how sad and pained she really was. Then, Andrea felt a tap on her shoulder and she turned around, meeting the eye of Frigga, the wife of Odin, who now stood in front of her.

"Why were you beneath the acid?"

"Because I contacted Thor and Loki found out. He bound me to the stone and let the drip fall on me once." There was an audible gasp from one of the Avengers but she paid no attention to them. Frigga sighed before speaking again.

"Yet you still plead for him. Why?" Andrea turned away from the woman and looked at Loki, still being held by the two guards. She approached him slowly and stopped when she was a few feet away, turning back to look at the Queen.

"Because I would not wish this torture on my worst enemy, and Loki is not." She pressed a hand to his cheek and smiled slightly. "He's the man who saved my life."

Loki looked at her confused but she had already turned away from him and watched as Frigga approached her husband. She stopped and knelt down before him, kissing his boot. "Husband, King, All-Father. Do not subject our son to this horror again. Send him to Midgard with Lady Andrea."

Odin seemed stunned before he turned to all the Avengers and spoke loudly and confidently. "You Midgardians and Thor are to be my jury. You know what Loki is accused of and we agree he is guilty. But which punishment do you wish upon him?"

There was silence as Andrea held her breath, looking at these people she'd thought of a friends. Now their humility came into play, and she didn't know which they would decide. Then Tony spoke. "Exile."

Odin nodded and motioned for the guards to bring Loki. The pulled him to Odin who placed the God of Mischief's hand in hers. "He is in your care."

Andrea bowed slightly and, never letting go of Loki's hand, motioned for the Avengers to follow her. She removed the spell from the door and led the lean God like a small child from the room. She knew she could do nothing for him until they returned to earth, and so she turned to her friends. "Thank-you."

No-one acknowledged her or Loki as they walked out of Asgard, preparing to return to earth but she swore she heard Clint mutter to Natasha, "Fury's going to be pissed."

-/-/-

"I don't recall telling you to bring back an Asgardian criminal." As soon as they had arrived at SHIELD HQ, Loki had been grabbed and taken down into the holding cell, despite Andrea's protests and attempts to follow. And so, the Avengers and Andrea all sat around a large table as Director Fury walked around them, glaring at them all. "I told you to bring Andrea."

"You told us to keep the peace," Steve said, looking up. "Bringing him back was the only way to do that."

"How so?" There was a long pause in which over time every head turned to Andrea who sat, nonchalantly, in her chair; her fingers drumming a melody on the table. She looked up at the Director without moving her head before tilting her head sideways a little and leaning back. She looked around at the others.

"So I have to explain? Okay, then." She sat up and put her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands. "Loki was sentenced by Asgardian law to endure another 500 years beneath the Snake of Skaði but this time he would be…in the condition you saw him." Her mind flicked back to the horrid sight of Loki covered in blood with his mouth sewn up and she shuddered. "Not being able to cry out would be the worst torment for him and I objected to it. After – shall we say negotiations? – I managed to adjust his sentence."

"To what, exactly?" Fury said bitterly, his fists on the table as he leant forward. The others seemed put off by this slight act of aggression but Andrea stood her ground, not moving or giving any display of her fears.

"Exile." She looked around her at the other Avengers before leaning forward a little and staring the Director in the eye as she said what he least wanted to hear, "to Midgard."

Fury's face fell and he sat down in a chair opposite most of them, his forehead in his hand. Natasha then took over explaining. "Sir, after Odin agreed to this, there was no way to deny it without causing war."

The assassins words seemed to go unnoticed for a while before the Director stood and walked over to the telecom system. He pressed a button and said quickly, "Transfer the prisoner to the level five."

"Wait," Steve said, looking around. "What's level five?"

"Well, if I remember right," Tony started, his eyes getting darker, "and I always do, that would be what I affectionately refer to as a long-term prison cell."

"No!" Andrea stood up hastily and her chair fell down behind her. Fury walked over slowly before talking to her in an almost threatening manner.

"Loki has been exiled here and therefore he is _our_ prisoner. Therefore he will pay for his crimes on earth."

"I said no!" Andrea walked forward so that she was almost nose to nose with the man. She snarled a little as she talked. "You may get off on asserting your power but don't think for a minute you hold any over me or him. I have witnesses," she motioned to all the others in the room, "who can attest to the fact that Odin has left him under my command, control and care."

Fury looked to the others, who all slowly nodded in agreement with what she said. He let out a short, bitter laugh before turning back to her. "You'd do well working for me."

And with that he walked over to the telecom again and ordered that Loki be brought to them immediately. Andrea smiled a little and picked up her chair before sitting down again. She could feel the eyes of all the room's occupants focused on her but she didn't pay them any attention. A good five minutes passed in silence before the door opened and Loki was rushed, rather roughly, into the room. Andrea stood immediately, shocked by his condition.

There could be no doubt that he looked worse than when they had arrived. The blue blood that had dripped from his mouth was now dry and crusted around it. The deep cuts on his arms were healing but still seeped and bled. He now had a fresh cut on his cheek and his hands had been bound again. She noticed, happily, that his bracelet was still on but beyond that he looked a different man. All the normal humour that danced within him had gone; instead his eyes were filled with pain and fear. Andrea walked over to him and pulled him back with her, sitting him in the seat beside her before looking back at Fury who was clearly about to speak.

"If you do insist on him being entirely _your_ responsibility, I feel there must be some fail safes in place."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning," Director Fury echoed, "that he must be under surveillance at all times which is monitored by SHIELD. He must always be in your company and/or a SHIELD agent or Avenger. He must also have his magic neutralised permanently."

"Yes to the first, yes to the second, no to the last." Everyone looked at her in surprise, include the prisoner they were discussing. Andrea smirked a little before explaining. "Magic supressed for extended periods can cause pain of all sorts and also a sense of psychosis. All of this is from experience. May I suggest certain areas in which magic is permitted, within reason?"

"Where will we find a place where we can control without neutralising magic?" Fury bit back. Andrea opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by another.

"Stark Towers." Every head snapped to look at Tony as he continued. "I'm sure I could create a room or two that are capable of supressing certain types of magic, assuming Andrea can give me some data." She nodded. "Also, Loki was to…live in Stark Towers there would be proper surveillance and easy access to some assassins, a jolly green giant, a super soldier, a God and a genius billionaire."

The Director seemed to consider this for a while before standing up straight and looking at Loki, who had somehow managed to regain a mask of mischief. He sighed and turned to Andrea. "He or you make a mistake, and there's no second chance. Are we clear?"

Andrea stood and held her hand out for Fury to shake and he did so. She stared him in the eye as she responded. "Crystal."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Stark Towers was far bigger than Andrea remembered it being when she returned with Loki and the Avengers after seeing Director Fury, but perhaps this was because she had only seen two levels. All but Tony, Andrea and Loki, got off at their main level on which they all lived. As soon as they left the elevator, Tony pressed the button for level 58, a long way below the others. They were all silent as they travelled.

When they reached their destination, Andrea stepped out first into what seemed to be a mainly unfurnished apartment. It was a large space in which every wall was painted a creamy white and the floors were all made of a dark wood. She noticed that behind her that they men had both stepped out and she turned to Tony who started to speak to her, explaining the place.

"There are two bathrooms, two bedrooms, a study, a living room, a kitchen, a laundry and what will soon be a magic room. Until then it's just empty space really." As he talked, he pointed in the directions of everything he was talking about. "There are at least two cameras in every room except for the bathroom which has none. The footage is set directly to both SHIELD and to JARVIS's mainframe. I should mention there is no audio aspect to these videos unless you ask JARVIS to turn it on. The elevator can only be operated via imputing a code and fingerprint identification; both are necessary. The code is decided by you, Andrea, and can be as long as you like. Currently there isn't one but when you're ready to install it, ask JARVIS. The fingerprint scanner only recognises you; therefore, no-one can leave here without your explicit permission. There is also a log kept digitally about the lift usage."

"Thank-you, Tony," she said with a smile and kissed him on the cheek. He bowed his head a little before walking over to the elevator.

"Could you sign me out please?" She laughed a little and pressed her thumb to the pad by the doors and they opened. Tony smiled as he got in and just before the door closed he said, "Everything is fully stocked and all your stuff from your apartment in Washington should be here tomorrow."

The doors closed and Andrea turned back to Loki, who was standing exactly where he had been. She knew he had been listening attentively to everything that had been said and was no doubt planning an escape. Before he could get any further, she pulled him over to one of the bathrooms and sat him on the edge of the bathtub. She then opened the bathroom cabernet and pulled out some basic first aid equipment. Turning back to Loki, she pulled a pair of tweezers what appeared to be surgical scissors from the bad. His eyes widened.

"I need to pull the stitches out before you heal around them completely. I can't give you anything for it so…it'll hurt. I'll try and be quick." She moved to touch him but he raised a hand, which had been unbound before they left SHIELD, and mimed cutting the threads. She shook her head. "That thread is made of something a lot stronger that anything I have to cut it. Please just stay still and I'll be as fast as I can."

He hesitated before nodding once sharply and she begun. She first untied the crudely done knot in the corner of his mouth before she started to pull at the first stitch. To her immense relief it pulled out without any great resistance but a groan of discomfort and pain from Loki told her it wasn't quite as painless as she had hoped. She continued carefully and in silence for another twenty minutes before she pulled the last stitch from his bottom lip. Loki immediately ran to the sink and spat a good amount of blood into the drain. Andrea recoiled as he did. She pulled him back to sit down in front of her again as she tended to some of his other wounds.

"W-why would you…try so h-hard to h-help me?" His words were slow and strange from his time with his lips sewn but his question came out easily. Andrea smiled a little as she dabbed a cotton bud soaked in spirits and his bicep.

"Because you don't deserve the punishment he offered." She continued her work for a while longer in silence, cleaning and tending to the various wounds on his body. When she was finished, they both stood and she showed him to what was obviously his room, for it was the only door with a lock on the outside. Loki sat down on the edge of the bed that lay in the centre of the room and looked around him before he was interrupted by Andrea sitting down beside him.

"There are a few orders I'm bound to give you," she said, lowering her head as if ashamed. "The first is you cannot attempt to remove the bracelet in any way. The second is you cannot deliberately harm yourself, kill yourself or try to evoke a situation in which others might do so. Thirdly, you cannot practice magic without my permission. And finally," she looked up at him and sighed. "Unless I use the word _Sigyn_ after an order, you are free to decide whether or not to obey."

Loki's head snapped up and he looked at her curiously, his head tilted slightly to the left. All of the order she had given felt like a weight on him that he wouldn't be able to shake off and would, of course, have to obey. The last order however made him feel like he was lighter than air, and his fear of mischief and trickery grew as he looked at her. "Why would you give me freedom?"

"Because I don't believe in subjugation," she offered with a laugh before answering seriously. "Everything you have become is because of what you have perceived others to do to you. Therefore you crave to have the power to control another fully. My taking that power and turning it on you is hard enough without me giving you an order by mistake and you having to live with that consequence. I don't want you to feel like a prisoner here. Despite how mad the others think I am for saying it, I don't think you deserve any of the pains you have been through, as each is cancelled by the previous. In my eyes, you're as worthy of freedom as them."

Loki couldn't completely comprehend what he was hearing. His whole life had been either about being below others or being so far above that they couldn't touch him. Now here was a woman who looked just as his wife had, although the similarity almost seemed to end there, who was giving him a second chance. A woman who he had hurt, corrupted, kidnapped and abused was the only person contented to give him a second chance. He knew he would take it, but couldn't understand the offering of it.

"Why are you doing all this for me?" Andrea leant forward and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

"You are the God of Mischief, and thus mischief is your true nature. But I am a woman of earth, and thusly, this is mine."


End file.
